The Tangled Web
by LoveEqualsEDWARD
Summary: A sequence of events in peculiarly intertwined, secret-filled lives lead several people down paths that are fated to cross in the most unexpected ways. Lies are spun like webs to potentially disastrous results. AU,AH,OOC. B/E, B/C. *ON HIATUS*
1. And So It Begins

_**DISCLAIMER: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The intellectual property including but not limited to all characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to LoveEqualsEDWARD. Plagiarism is theft so please, no copying or reproduction of this work in any language is permitted without express written authorization of the author.**_

**Author's Note****: Okay kids, I finally did it. This is my first fanfic. Please note that although this is ultimately an Edward & Bella fic, there will be some non-canon couplings at first. **

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"Oh! What a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive!"

-Sir Walter Scott

A real-life soap opera.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine myself as part of one. I most certainly never saw myself cast in the role of antagonist, either.

However, here I am, practically sitting at the tip of the all-hell-breaking-loose iceberg, holding power over peculiarly intertwined, secret-filled lives, all of which are somehow connected to mine.

What does one _do_ with such power over the lives of others? A few simple words from me would blow things wide open and the shit would definitely hit the fan. Come to think of it, the real question should be "What's it worth to _me?"_ For starters, having the ability to end the reprieve for one Carlisle Cullen would bring me much satisfaction. That alone is worth more than anything I could ever hope for.

Could this be fate? I'm not convinced. But I _will_ tell you that if there _is_ such a thing as Fate, it sure is one sick, twisted son of a bitch.

Now ... before you start judging me, let me tell you a bit about how I came upon this Pandora's Box, of sorts.

Not too long ago, thanks to my up-and-coming career as a print model and actress, I landed a small role in a film being shot in Seattle, Washington. While working on that set, I met a friendly little wardrobe stylist named Alice Brandon, and we hit it off instantly. Alice had a way about her - one couldn't help but adore her from the get go. Naturally, it took almost no time for me to regard her as my closest friend, even though I knew that she already had a best friend in Seattle. Alice often spoke so highly of her that I soon found myself fond of this girl as well and looked forward to meeting her in person soon. However, because of my busy schedule on set, I hadn't had the opportunity to meet her.

But, as fate would have it, one fortunate Friday during filming, when the weather did not cooperate as our Director would've liked, the entire cast and crew was given the weekend off. Alice, as expected, seized the opportunity to make plans for a "Girls' Night," which included her best friend. So, once introductions and awkwardness were out of the way (after several shots of Patron, no less), the evening turned out to be a crazy good time, and we found that we got along amazingly well as a trio. Within a few weeks, we were calling ourselves "The Three Amigas" and were pretty much inseparable after that first night. Even when filming for my movie ended, I still flew back to Seattle regularly in order to catch up with my girls. We became the best of friends.

A day before I was set to arrive in Seattle for one of my regular visits, I received a text from Alice letting me know that she'd miss our girls' weekend due to last minute work demands on a set in Portland, Oregon. So, the weekend would consist of just two Amigas instead of three. However, I knew we'd still make the most of it, sans Alice, as long as Senor Patron was kept on tap.

I arrived at Seattle International and found my then new buddy awaiting me with an expectant smile.

"Hey girlfriend, ready for a weekend of debauchery alá Yours Truly?" she said.

I rolled my eyes and giggled at her exaggeration. She was too much of a good girl to even know what "debauchery" really entailed. Instead, I hugged her silly ass and had her help me drag my Louis Vuittons out the airport doors in search of her car. We drove for what seemed like ages, but settled into our typical comfortable conversation about work, life in L.A., and men, as usual. Eventually, we turned off into a secluded, private road and my jaw dropped at the sight of the sprawling mansion, which sat at the end of it.

"Dude, you live _here_?" I said in awe of the sight before me.

She nodded once and smiled bashfully.

Shit, I knew that she was married to a doctor and that he was pretty successful, but after getting a load of that house I had a feeling that she was married to some Daddy Warbucks-type of guy. Actually, Alice had mentioned that he was several years older so maybe he was more of a Sugar-Daddy Warbucks. My interest was certainly piqued and I wanted to know more about him. In fact, I secretly hoped that I'd get the scoop this weekend and learn how to lock down on one of those specimens for myself, permanently.

"This isn't a house, Honey. It's a freakin' palace! Who the heck are you married to, a Seik or a Sultan or something?" I said in mock disbelief.

"Or something" she replied with an impish grin.

I marveled at the beautiful architecture as we made our way inside. But of course, the interior was even more exquisite than the exterior, featuring all kinds of beautiful art work and antiques.

_My buddy hit the jackpot with this fella, that's for sure._

"Leave your bags by the foyer, Hon. I'll see to it that they make it to your room," she said as she walked ahead of me. "I'm sure you must be famished by now, so I'm going to slip into the kitchen really quickly to prep something for us to eat, okay?"

"Sure. Mind if I look around your museum for a bit? This place is like a freaking art gallery!" I replied appreciatively.

"Mi casa es su casa. Make yourself at home. And would you mind pouring us a couple of glasses of wine while you're at it? The wine is in the study, first door on your left," she said, and pointed me towards the study door.

I nodded in response as I made my way towards said study.

As I entered, I was surprised to find that three of the four walls in the room were almost completely covered in framed photos of all sizes. I knew that photography was a hobby of hers, but from the amount of photos in this room, I could tell that she was actually passionate about it and took pride in displaying her work.

I approached the wall closest to me and began to scrutinize the photos. There were varied pictures, both in color and black and white; beautiful landscapes, architecture, flowers, and people. Some seemed random; others casual and candid in style, while a few seemed like shots of people she knew. _Family_, I thought. I checked out the photos, one by one, until I came upon a cluster of black and white ones that sat in the middle of all the others. Stepping closer to get a better look, I was instantly shocked by what I saw.

_It couldn't be. _

In an effort to gather my thoughts, I leaned back on the desk in the middle of the room and accidentally knocked over a small picture frame that had been set upon it. Quickly turning around to pick it up, I almost dropped it again when I took in the face in the frame. It was a face I remembered all too well. As my eyes did a quick scan of the entire room, I realized that many of the pictures there featured the same face. The face of a great looking man with stylish blonde hair, piercing baby blue eyes, and a dazzling smile. A face I could never forget.

_Oh. My. God. Carlisle fucking Cullen._

_This can NOT be possible. Bella is married to THAT bastard?!_

_But she said that her name was Isabella Swan! She never once mentioned the name "Cullen" in our conversations!_

I continued to scrutinize each and every picture, seeking clues into Bella's connection to Carlisle when I came across one that answered all of my questions. Although neither of them wore traditional wedding attire, it was clearly a wedding portrait. Bella had on a beautiful off-white cocktail dress while Carlisle wore a sharp black pinstripe suit. His arms were wrapped around her waist as they lovingly gazed into each other's eyes; the Eiffel Tower sitting in the distance. _The typical romantic wedding cliché_, I thought. Not to mention the ginormous rock that was sitting on Bella's left ring finger, which gave it all away.

"I see that you've found my personal gallery, Rose." Bella said with a chuckle as she entered the room, catching me staring at the wedding photo.

Attempting to seem as composed as possible, I replied, "Bells, you never told me that you were married to _the_ Carlisle Cullen. How could you keep that a secret?"

She shrugged and said, "Well, I only use my married name for legal purposes, but I'm known as Isabella Swan for everything else, especially my writing. Besides, the locals know that I'm Mrs. Cullen, even if I don't wear the name like a badge. I just assumed that Alice had told you."

And there it was.

If I had been unsure about her connection to Carlisle Cullen before, she had just iron-clad confirmed it. Part one of the Pandora's Box puzzle had unexpectedly landed on my lap.

The funny thing is that despite what happened to me in the past, I had never actively sought the means to pay back the S.O.B. who ruined me. But now that the opportunity had fallen from the sky, so to speak, it was hard to ignore. You see, somewhere along the way, I played with fire and got burned. Many moons ago, I chose a path that led me right into the arms of a man who not only used and tossed me aside, but left me marked for the rest of my existence. Little did I know that ten years down the road, I'd befriend a woman named Isabella who just happened to be that despicable bastard's _wife_. So, because of that friendship, I've come into knowledge of secrets that when revealed, will shake up our little world as we know it. It _is_ a small world, after all, and the thought of giving Carlisle Cullen what he so richly deserves almost makes me giddy with anticipation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not malicious by nature, and yeah, Bella will likely be hurt in the process, but she's no innocent party either. As a matter of fact, it is _her_ secrets that will be the key to exacting my revenge upon her husband's life. But that's another piece of the puzzle I've yet to tell you about.

For now, I will just patiently sit back, observe, and carefully plan what I want to do. It may not happen next week or heck, maybe not even next year, but I _will_ have my day in the sun, as far as Carlisle Cullen is concerned.

Mark my words.

---

**A few years ago ...**

"Five minutes, Ms. Swan," said the stage manager.

_Breathe._

In the next five minutes, my life, as I knew it, would completely change.

Not even a year prior, I was a 21-year old, no-name writer from Forks, Washington. But in the next five minutes, I'd become Isabella Swan, the highly praised, accomplished author and best-selling novelist. And out there? Out there was my future. I didn't know it at the time, though. In the next five minutes, I'd walk into a room filled with international press, publishing house big-wigs, all sorts of prestigious names, and people of importance - all gathered to meet _me._

As the latest best-selling-author-_du-jour_, my publisher and I had been invited to attend an elite fund raising event - in Paris, France, no less - for which I was expected to donate my time and give interviews with countless media outlets, offer an exclusive book signing event (for VIPs only), and attend a ten-thousand dollar per ticket dinner and silent auction. An auction for which "a date with an author" (namely, _me_) was one of the prizes up for bids. So, in five minutes, I'd play the literary rock star part and autograph books, pose for photos, speak to the press, and then prep myself to be sold off like cattle to the highest bidder for a "night on the town" in the City of Lights - all in the name of charity, of course.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Hart-Meyer Publishing Co. and The CCF Children's Charities welcome you to our third annual Elite Fundraiser event. As you all know, today's events include a book signing with Isabella Swan, celebrated author of several books, currently on the New York Times best seller lists. But, we are most excited to announce that Miss Swan has generously agreed to an exclusive visit with one of our lucky patrons via the highest bid in our silent auction. So, for those of you interested, please be sure to place your bids before 5 p.m. today, as the winner shall be announced during our black-tie dinner event this evening," said my publisher, Mr. Hart.

"Please join me in welcoming Ms. Swan ..."

The room erupted in a series of polite applause. Knowing that it was my cue, I walked out onto a small stage where I was greeted by what felt like hundreds of flashbulbs.

_Here goes nothing._

I put on my signature fake smile and waved as I made my way to the center of the small stage. Miss Beauty Pageant USA had nothing on me.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mr. Hart, I reached a small table and proceeded to call on people with questions or comments about my books, as expected. A short while later, the line was opened for the book signing and that's when _he_ first made his presence known.

"Good evening, Ms. Swan," said an incredibly alluring male voice. "It is an honor to just be in the same room with you, but to have the opportunity to meet you in person is indeed a delight beyond measure."

I looked up from the book I was signing and was suddenly dumbstruck by a pair of piercing baby blue eyes. They were framed by long, dark lashes on a gorgeous masculine face, with stylish blond hair and a seductive smile. As if against my will, my eyes didn't just stop at his face. They continued to scan their way further south, and from the looks of things, it was evident that this man was keenly aware of his physical appeal and took time to keep himself in the finest shape possible. _Sex on legs_ was all I could think of with his defined athletic body being hinted at through his snug fitting trousers and dress shirt.

Of course, my natural reaction was a traitorous blush brought on by the lewd thoughts running through my mind as I ogled him from head to toe. He smiled wickedly, as if he knew the effect he was having on me.

_Damn that sexy smile. Oh, he most certainly knows the effect it has on women._

The man just exuded raw sexuality and I was instantly drawn to him.

Extending one strong hand in greeting, he continued to slay me with that smile. I nervously placed my hand in his and responded, "Ummm, hi ... pleased to meet you, Mister ..."

He kept my hand firmly in his grip, never taking his sky blue gaze away from mine, and said "Carlise ... Carlise Cullen."

Before I could pull my hand from his grip, he bent down, bringing my hand up to his lips, and softly kissed my knuckles. And for a fraction of a second, I wondered if it was a French thing to do or if he was actually coming on to me. Hell, I hoped to God that he was indeed coming on to me, as I had never before felt such an intense attraction to a man as I did right then.

And for the first time ever, I actually considered going home with a stranger.

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**NEWS: I've recently started working with ****PROJECT TEAM BETA (October 2009) in order to bring you a better version of this story - no story changes involved though, just grammatical tweaks here and there. _Thank you, PTB authors!_**


	2. La Vie En Rose

**DISCLAIMER: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The intellectual property including but not limited to all characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to LoveEqualsEDWARD. Plagiarism is theft so please, no copying or reproduction of this work in any language is permitted without express written authorization of the author.**

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Okay, so I was dazzled. More than dazzled...I was mesmerized. What was it about that man which made me feel so weak in the knees?

Good looks? Check.

Charm? Check.

Sex Appeal? Check, check, check!

I suppose that one could safely deduce that he had all the makings of a bonafide lady killer. Lucky for me, he was clearly flirting, and I was totally attracted.

If only Alice could see me now. She'd be my personal cheering squad and would probably be telling me to 'go in for the kill' with this one.

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Carlisle and I chatted animatedly as I signed my name in his copy of my book and intently clung to every word he said. Two things stood out in my mind from that conversation: One, Carlisle continuously supported the various charities which the CCF sponsored, and two (the more important one), he was a bachelor.

_Hmmm. Great looking, single, and generous._

Not wanting to delay the book signing any further, I said, "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Carlisle. Will you be attending tonight's events?" I didn't want my attraction to him to seem so blatantly obvious, but I wanted to be sure that I'd be seeing him again.

"Now that I've met you in person, Miss Swan, I will most definitely be attending and hope to have the opportunity to chat with you more," he replied with that dazzling smile of his.

"I'd like that," I said as the traitorous blush made its reappearance.

Carlisle winked at me before walking away.

Letting out the huge breath I had been holding, I walked away fanning myself as it was evident that Carlisle's presence had caused my body temperature to rise a few degrees.

---

Once the book signing had ended and everyone had been escorted out, I gathered my things and made my way off the stage, heading towards the exit door to my left.

"I thought they'd never leave," a male voice said with a chuckle.

Startled by the unexpected presence, I gasped in surprise, and held my hand to my throat. I instantly recognized the voice, but I hadn't realized that I wasn't alone in the room up until that moment.

"My goodness, you almost gave me a heart attack, Carlisle! I thought I was all alone here."

He slowly made his way towards me in almost a predatory stalk, looking straight into my eyes and giving me a megawatt smile. I could feel a nervous thrill run through me as he approached and stopped less than a foot away from me. Couldn't help the goosebumps that covered my skin as I felt him practically devour me with his eyes. Had this been some other man, I would've found all of this a bit creepy. Instead, because it was Carlisle - the recent object of my desire - it was incredibly sexy.

"I'm sorry, Miss Swan. I didn't mean to startle you," he said with sincerity in his eyes. "I just wanted to ask if you'd allow me to escort you back to your hotel. And if I may be so bold, I'd also like to be your escort for tonight's events."

"Bella," I replied sort of breathlessly. "It's just Bella."

Oh, I wanted a bit more than to just be escorted...

He nodded and replied with a sexy smirk, "`Bella´. Beautiful."

He's doing it again; he's dazzling me.

"So, Bella, may I escort you back to your hotel? I have a car with a driver already waiting for us outside, and-"

Shaking my head, I quickly cut him off and said, "Thank you, Carlisle, but no need. I'm actually staying at this hotel, so I only have to find the elevator back to my suite."

He simply nodded in acceptance but remained silent. His eyes, however, never left mine. Something about his piercing, ice-blue stare that was both intimidating and inviting had me feeling desperate to say something in order to break the silent tension in the room. Carlisle was totally making me nervous - in a good way - and I had a feeling that he could sense it.

"Ummm, well, I really need to start getting ready for the dinner this evening, so…" I left my words hanging in the air, hoping he'd take the bait.

"Indeed Miss Swa- Bella. But I'd be honored if you'd accept my invitation to escort you to the event," he replied. "Is five-thirty okay for you?"

I couldn't help but notice the air of confidence in his voice, as if he was certain that I would agree to go with him. To be honest, I wanted to instantly say yes, but I didn't want to make it so easy for him.

"Actually, I've already made plans. With...someone else. So, if you'll excuse me..." I said, trying to hide the smile in my words. I then turned away and began to walk towards the rear exit. He, however, had other plans. I felt his hand gently grab hold of my wrist to stop me.

"Wait. Isabella...Bella. Please."

_Hook, line, and sinker. Gotcha, Blue Eyes._

Ever so slowly, I turned around to face him, my brown eyes making their way up from the ground to meet with his beautiful blue ones.

Poker face, Bella. Poker face.

"Yes?" I replied in feigned innocence, almost unable to hide the smugness in my smile.

Without ever releasing his hold on my arm, Carlise pursed his lips and seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. Next thing I knew, his lips were pressed into my palm in a soft, slow, sensual kiss. I fought hard to keep my exterior composed, but inside, I could feel myself melt with my growing attraction to this man.

_Damn, he's good._

"I guess we'll see each other at the event, then," he said with a smile as he turned and quickly made his way toward the exit doors behind him. I stood there, almost dumbstruck, as I watched him walk out and leave me there all hot and bothered. The worst part about that? I was certain right then - despite my seemingly collected exterior - that Carlisle knew _exactly_ what he was doing and just how much he had affected me.

---

"Alice, how long have you known me?" I asked my best friend.

"Let's see...not including infancy...I'd say my entire life," she replied in a sarcastic tone. "Why? What's up?"

"Well, why would you send this outrageously sexy dress for me to wear tonight of all nights? Not only am I up for bids for a 'date' with what's most likely to be a rich and horny old man, but now I have to dress like a high-priced escort, too?" I said in an indignant tone.

"Relax, Bella-darling. Yes, the dress may be a little revealing, but sweetie, it's a Valentino, hot off the runway, and you will be the sexiest, most sophisticated babe in the house while wearing it. And...on the plus side, when the rich, horny old men get a load of you, they'll be falling all over themselves to bid as high as they can for that date," she replied, knowing that no way would I put up a fight after painting things that way. "Besides, it's all for charity, so you want to do everything you can to get as many bids as possible, right?"

She totally had me there. Hook, line, and sinker.

I could hear the self-satisfied smile in her voice, even though she was a whole ocean and continent away.

"But Alice, how in the world am I supposed to keep the girls from falling out of this dress? The plunge alone is downright obscene."

She sighed and said, "Bella, Bella, Bella...how long have you known me?" She'd taken my own words and given them right back to me.

"Please, Alice, just tell me what to do. I need to be at this party in forty minutes."

"`Kay, look in your lingerie bag. There should be a roll of double-sided body tape. Stick one piece on the inside of the dress and the other on your body, and voila! You'll have zero wardrobe malfunctions," she calmly replied.

"Alright. I'm going to trust you on this, Alice...but only because you're a professional...and because I've only precious few minutes to spare with no time to hunt down another dress!" I said in an exasperated tone. "Goodbye, Ali, talk to you when I get back."

I quickly hung up the phone so she couldn't get another word in.

---

After a few more minutes of primping (and taping), I was ready to go. I took one last look at myself in a full length mirror and was pretty impressed by how well I looked. Alice was indeed a rock star in her field and spared no expense in making me look like a million bucks for tonight's event. She even had a hairstylist/makeup artist colleague show up to my hotel room to help me look my very best.

My long, side-parted hair was done in lovely 1940s style waves and was pinned up on one side with a gorgeous antique brooch that was an exact replica of the one on my dress. It made me feel extra special. The makeup was extra special as well, from complementary shimmery nude shadow and jet black mascara framing my eyes, to the perfect shade of red finishing off my lips, giving me this whole "Brigitte Bardot-like sexiness," according to the stylist. As for my dress...yes, despite my reservations on the style, it really did hug my curves nicely. It was a gorgeous, black silk gown with a halter top and plunging neckline that was parted down to just above my navel, where it was adorned by an antique rhinestone pin and a front slit that traveled to mid-thigh on one leg.

The dress was definitely a little more risqué than I would've liked, but it did give me just the right amount of confidence I'd need for the evening, as the entire look was beautiful, sexy, and sophisticated. After all, Carlisle would be at this party, and I did want him to notice me.

So after one last spritz of my favorite perfume, I grabbed my beaded clutch, my faux fur shawl and key card, and made my way down to the lobby where Mr. Hart's driver awaited. He escorted me toward the fancy black limousine parked outside and held open its door as I made my way inside. Mr. Hart was already seated within.

"Good evening, Miss Swan," said Mr. Hart, all decked out in his own black-tie finery. "I must say that you are an absolute vision, and I know that many of our distinguished guests will be delighted to have the opportunity to bid on an evening spent in your company."

Ugh. That sounded really creepy coming from him. I hope he isn't one of the bidders. Or worse - the winning bidder!

I felt bile rise in my throat at the perceived double entendre in his comment. Luckily, I managed to save face by nodding and smiling politely, despite the longing I sensed in his words.

---

We made our way to the event in companionable silence, thankfully, and time passed by quickly as I looked out the car's window, admiring the history and architecture of the city around me. But soon enough, we had arrived at our destination, the famous Four Seasons George V Hotel. It was every bit as grand and opulent as Alice had mentioned, and by the looks of it, this event was deliberately held in such a lavish location in order to attract the deepest pockets in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Nonetheless, I was still worried about which "deep pocket" would have the "delight" of bidding high for a date with me in the name of charity.

"Shall we, Miss Swan?" Mr. Hart said as he offered his arm and escorted me toward the hotel's grand ballroom. I was awestruck as I took in the beautiful architecture, furnishings, and grandeur of the entire place. It almost felt as if I had walked into the Cinderella story. Here was Bella Swan, a simple girl from Forks, Washington, in this majestic place, and in the City of Lights, no less. All I needed was my Prince Charming.

"Beautiful," an alluring male voice said from behind us.

My heart stopped, and I instantly released Mr. Hart's arm as my eyes sought the source of that familiar voice.

_Carlisle._

Leaning against a column near the ballroom entrance, he was dressed in the sexiest black on black tuxedo I had ever seen on a man. His thick blond hair was slicked back and styled like a proper 1940s gentleman's, with the matching Cary Grant smile and debonair style. A smile that made him absolutely handsome, charismatic, charming, and disarming.

Suddenly, my heart was pounding frantically in my chest, and my stomach tied itself into knots. I bit my lower lip, trying to conceal the huge smile that threatened to break out at the irresistible sight of him. I knew that I had been anxious to see him, but now that I had him a mere few feet away from me, I was beyond nervous and excited.

Mr. Hart stepped closer to me, gripping my arm almost possessively, and whispered in my ear as he gestured toward Carlisle, "I take it you've met Dr. Cullen?"

_Doctor?_

I slowly removed my arm from his grip and replied, "Yes, sir. Carlisle and I met earlier today. So, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go over and say hello." Besides, I really wanted to get away from the old guy. He had officially over-worn his welcome within my personal space.

Mr. Hart regarded me with a sly grin before saying, "As you wish," and made his way toward a group of men who greeted him cheerfully.

I sighed and turned to where Carlisle was standing, but before I could take one step in that direction, I found myself crashing right into his hard chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist almost instantly, keeping me steady. However, he held me so tightly that I could feel every inch of his body molding itself onto mine. Every inch.

Realizing that I remained in his embrace for much longer than was necessary, it dawned on me that his hold was not an attempt to keep me from toppling over, but instead a deliberate act - one that was not unwelcome on my part. So, in a moment of boldness, I placed my hands flat on his chest and slowly ran them upwards, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning into him. I was drawn in by his appealing, masculine scent which was sinfully delicious.

Having our bodies in such close proximity felt incredibly intimate and inviting, despite being fully clothed. I could feel Carlisle's breath come in low, quiet pants, as his eyes drank me in hungrily. With his arms still firmly wrapped around me, he leaned into my neck and whispered, "You are a goddess among mortals, Bella. More beautiful than anything I've ever known."

I could feel his warm breath brushing past my ear, his lips only inches from me. Goosebumps rose all over my flesh as my heart continued to pound frantically in my chest. There was no way that I could hide the physical reaction that I was having to this man, and he was definitely not attempting to hide his.

Knowing that my emotions were clearly written across my face, thanks to the blush-that-never-fails, I looked away and smiled before once again gazing into his eyes and responding in almost a whisper, "Thank you, Carlisle. For the compliment. And for catching me." I wondered for a moment if he knew just how he had caught me.

Carlisle gently cupped my chin as he said, "It's my absolute pleasure, Isabella. But you can certainly thank me by allowing me to stay by your side tonight." This time, I simply could not contain my smile.

I was completely attracted to him.

I wanted him to notice me.

I wanted him to want me.

Mission accomplished.

---

Carlisle and I made our way through the grand ballroom as he warmly greeted many of the distinguished guests there. A list of Who's Who in the world's society pages, no doubt. He took the time to introduce me to each and every person he greeted, which I thought was nice, although unnecessary. However, the fact that he noticed the way the men regarded my appearance was not lost on me. The slight roguish smile that played on the corner of his lips was a dead giveaway, and I couldn't help but feel a bit like a trophy on his arm. But it made me feel secure and confident, so I went with it.

We spent the rest of the time at the party talking and dancing. Carlisle was just as suave on the dance floor as he was sitting down - if not more. He whispered most of the songs' lyrics in my ear as we danced, and I couldn't help but swoon each time he held my body closer to his. Whenever we took a moment to rest from the continuous dancing, he'd tell me all about his career, world travels, books he'd read, and people he'd met. I found out that he was thirty-two, a doctor, a philanthropist, and an accomplished author and lecturer. Carlisle was clearly cultured and well-educated. I was fascinated by him. The fact that he was incredibly good looking was just a very happy bonus, and as if things couldn't get any better, the man simply oozed sophistication and charm.

Icing on the cake.

To say that I was completely smitten was an understatement, and I silently hoped that our evening would continue until sunrise, as I was certain that I wanted to spend it him.

After a couple of hours of dining, socializing, and dancing, the music suddenly went quiet as a tall, voluptuous, red-haired woman approached the microphone on stage and cleared her throat before speaking in what sounded like a British accent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention, please. We are ready to name the winners of our silent auction for this evening's prizes, so if you would all take your seats, we will begin momentarily."

Carlisle laced his fingers with mine as he led me off the dance floor, and my heart squeezed for just a moment like a crushing school girl. Once we reached our table, he wrapped an arm around my waist and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. I felt myself shiver in pleasure despite the simple contact. I wanted so much more from him than a chaste kiss at that moment, but anything more would have to wait. However, I realized that I hadn't just shivered because of my growing attraction to him. The night had been almost magical and Carlisle had been the reason for it. But the fact that I was soon to be auctioned off had me dreading having to spend any time alone with anyone other than him, and it was making me beyond anxious.

As if he could sense my sudden apprehension, Carlisle pulled out a chair and offered it to me, crouching at my feet, holding both of my hands in his. Bringing them to his lips, he gently kissed my knuckles before saying, "Are you cold, my darling? I can feel you shivering." His brow furrowed as he looked up into my eyes with concern. I bit my lip, pondering my reply for a moment.

"No, I'm not cold. It's just that...I'm...I'm suddenly not sure that offering myself as a prize for this auction was a good idea," I replied.

Carlisle let out a hearty laugh and said, "Don't worry, darling. I won't let any big bad wolf get to you."

I wasn't sure why, but his words were surprisingly comforting. At some point throughout that night, my slight feelings of intimidation around him had settled into feelings of comfort and security, and I was certain, right then and there, that I wanted to be with him for more than just one night.

"Carlisle, I...can we-"

I was suddenly cut off by my name being mentioned as the next prize, and I groaned internally.

"And the winner of an exclusive day in the company of best-selling author, Miss Isabella Swan is..."

I held my breath.

"The CCF, with a generous bid of 275,000 Euros, which will go to support the various children's charities overseen by it's sister entity!"

I immediately scanned the room, looking around for whoever it was that would claim the prize on behalf of the CCF.

What the heck was the CCF, anyway?

No one rose from their seat to claim the prize, so the red-haired emcee simply continued to name the winners of the next few prizes.

To say that I was puzzled was a great understatement. Carlisle, however, was the picture of calm and composure and never once mentioned anything about this confusing predicament. Instead, he listened intently to the rest of the presentation while he held my hand in his.

---

Before long, the red-haired woman approached us. As she approached our table, the woman reached out and took hold of Carlisle's unoccupied hand, lacing her fingers into his and effectively pulling him out of his seat and into an embrace. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck in a most familiar, intimate way. And although his one hand remained in mine, his other was wrapped around her waist as they both looked onto one another's eyes and smiled.

"Carlisle, darling. It's wonderful to see you here. Please say that you will holiday with us before you head back to America. You know that the South of France is not as much fun without your company," she purred.

_Grrrr!_

He gave her a wicked grin before releasing his hold on her and looking back at me.

"Victoria, I'd like you to meet someone very special. This is Isabella Swan, who has enchanted me enough to entertain the idea that she could one day wear the Cullen last name," he replied with a wink in my direction. I could feel the heat rising on my cheeks as I took assessment of his bold statement.

However, I must admit that I felt completely pleased when I looked up at that woman's horrified face. Her eyes practically bugged out of her head in surprise. Instantly releasing her arms from Carlisle's shoulders, she let out a loud, obnoxious laugh. She then turned to me and said, "Well, well, darling. It appears that you are indeed already a few steps ahead of the game, considering the amount of money that he just disbursed for one night in your company."

I looked up at Carlisle, feeling even more confused than before and angry at the woman's obvious dig. But I didn't want to make a scene there, so I chose to wait for Carlisle's reaction instead. However, to my dismay, he simply smiled and shrugged off her comment with an air of indifference.

Apparently not satisfied that she didn't get a rise out of either of us, Victoria turned to Carlisle and said, "Does Miss Swan know about you, darling? Does she know why you are so well-known in our circles?" She practically hissed the words at him, and for a brief moment, I caught a hint of anger in Carlisle's eyes.

"That will be all, Victoria," he replied coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to spend the rest of my time at this party enjoying the lovely company of Miss Swan."

Victoria left us in a huff and made her way into the arms of a balding, wrinkly old man who pretty much ignored her as he continued his conversation with a group of other party goers.

Not being able to fake nonchalance as coolly as Carlisle had, I stood up with a start and grabbed my clutch and wrap.

"Isabella, what are you doing?" Carlisle asked with a look of confusion on his face.

I turned to him with a scowl and practically spat the words at him in anger.

"I don't appreciate what just happened and I certainly won't sit by and have some snooty, Botoxed hussy imply that you are paying to sleep with me while you stand there with your self-satisfied smile. So with that, _sir_, I bid you goodnight."

I turned away from him quickly and stormed towards the exit doors.

Before I could reach them, Carlisle wrapped his arms around me, lifting me inches from the ground, effectively keeping me from running. Once he was satisfied that I wasn't going to put up a fight, he put me down, and turned me so that we stood face to face once again. He smiled at me with a wicked grin, one that was equal parts dazzling me, pissing me off, and diffusing my anger.

I didn't want to read the surrender on my face, so I diverted my gaze from his and looked at the ground instead.

Cupping my chin in his hand, Carlisle sought my eyes once again before saying anything further. Once he was certain that he had my attention, he held my stare and said, "Isabella...Bella...I'm afraid that you are under some sort of misapprehension, and I do apologize for Victoria's comments. Clearly, she's jealous that you've captivated me in a manner that no other woman has been able to in a very long time, but I assure you that neither myself nor anyone else at this function believes any of what she has dared to imply about you."

And although I was fuming mad, I looked hard into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.

"Go on," I stiffly replied.

"Bella, my darling, 'CCF' is the Carlisle Cullen Foundation. I am the head of CCF. And as such, I am the person who placed the bid and won the 'date' with best-selling author, Isabella Swan," he said with a chuckle. "I told you that I wouldn't let any of those big bad wolves near you, and I kept my promise. Besides, I couldn't stomach the idea of anyone in this room spending time with you any more than you could."

I was completely speechless, astounded, and secretly thrilled.

---

The limousine pulled up to the front of my hotel a little after three in the morning.

"Ummm...this is home for the next month or so," I said as I motioned toward the hotel's doors. "Part of my deal with Hart-Meyer is that I get to stay here in order to unwind, recharge, and hopefully be inspired for my next novel."

"I'd like to see you again, Isabella," Carlisle said quickly as he reached for my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

"You will. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact. You paid 275,000 Euros in order to ensure that," I replied in a teasing tone.

He reached over and cupped my cheek in his warm hand, making me shiver. Biting my lower lip, I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch, hoping he'd take it as a cue to kiss me, because I really, really wanted him to kiss me. And as if he'd read my mind, Carlisle leaned his body into mine and placed a soft but passionate kiss on my lips. I felt myself instantly melt into his arms as he embraced me tightly and continued to kiss me. I wrapped my hands around his jacket's lapel, pulling him in closer, desperately wanting to convey how much I didn't want the night to end. However, just as that thought passed, he broke our kiss, freeing me from his embrace, despite the fact that we were clearly breathless from the rush of desire flowing between us.

Once Carlisle managed to find his composure, he looked into my eyes and said, "Bella, as exquisite as you are, I want nothing more than to carry you up to your room and then wake up with you wrapped in my arms in the morning. But, even more than that, I want to treat you as the gem that you are. So I think it's best that I go back to my hotel - alone - right now."

The smitten sixteen year-old girl in me couldn't help but pout in disappointment, but I understood and appreciated that he wanted to take things slowly. In fact, it made me like him so much more. I mean, I hadn't dated a lot of men, but it had been my experience that most men wanted to score right away. Yet here he was, this worldly, gorgeous man who I'm sure could have his pick of women, and he was with _me_, in the most romantic city in the world, and was honoring me by not sleeping with me on the first night despite his desire to do so.

_Swoon!_

Part of me - that small, insecure part of me - was a bit let down and frustrated, but I was also elated and couldn't wait until we'd see each other again.

Smiling warmly at him, I said, "I understand. This night has been lovely, and it's only because of you. Good night, Carlisle." I reached over and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before opening the limousine door and letting myself out.

As I walked toward my hotel's lobby, I heard him call out my name. I turned around to face him and watched as he exited the limo and made his way toward me. Not knowing what to expect, I stood there frozen, but smiled as I hoped he'd had a change of heart and wanted to stay.

Mere inches from me, he reached for my hand, and pulled me into his warm embrace. Almost instantly, his mouth connected with mine in a searing kiss that left me absolutely breathless.

"The future suddenly feels so full of promise," he whispered. "Good night, beautiful."

And with that, he released me and made his way back into the awaiting limo which rode off into the night.

* * *

**Once again, big thanks to my two Project Team Beta girls for their keen perspective and for helping me fix the grammar boo-boos in this chapter.**


	3. Smooth

**Disclaimer: Identifiable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.  
**This plot and the non-canon things they do is all product of my own dementia and solely for my own amusement.

* * *

**Some Tunes for this chapter:  
**Samba Pa Ti - Santana / Seduction - Boney James / The First Taste - Fiona Apple

**

* * *

  
**

_Ring-riiing._

_Ring-riiing._

_Ring-riiing._

_What the...? Oh, the phone._

"Hello?" I said, my voice still thick with sleep.

"My darling? I'm sorry if I've awakened you..." he said.

I cleared my throat and looked at the clock.

_1 p.m._

"Carlisle. It's okay. I don't usually sleep this late, so I appreciate the wake-up call," I responded.

I rolled onto my back and said in a semi-flirtatious voice, "So, to what do I owe the honor of this phone call?"

Carlisle chuckled before answering in his usual alluring tone, "Ah, my darling. I haven't stopped thinking of you since that kiss last night and couldn't wait any longer to hear your voice."

_Swoon._

"I haven't stopped thinking of that kiss...of you, either," I whispered.

I really wanted to kick myself for admitting to that, but something about him had my defenses down and I found it so comfortable to say exactly what I felt.

We proceeded to make a bit of flirtatious small-talk for a few minutes before discussing our rendezvous this evening. After all, he _had_ shelled out 275,000 Euros for the pleasure of my company. What he didn't know was that in the course of the overnight hours (and after a couple of erotic dreams starring him), I had decided that I would make tonight completely worth it to him. After all, we were in the most romantic city in the world and if last night was any indication of what being with him would be like, then I had no doubts that a night in his arms would be completely worth it to me as well. Besides, I had never before been swept off my feet in this manner, by any man, and I didn't want to waste time tap dancing around this sexual tension between us. So, _tonight would be it_, I decided. Never one to be impulsive or make rash decisions, taking this one leap of faith with Carlisle felt right. I could trust him, couldn't I?

"Isabella, my darling, please be ready by 7 p.m. I'll have a car pick you up. A cocktail dress would be appropriate attire for dinner and then..." he instructed. The fact that he left that sentence hanging didn't go unnoticed by me, as well as the way he took control of the evening's plans without my input. But, if he was thinking what I was thinking, then the night would end with fireworks, so it didn't matter where we went, as much as where we'd end up.

"Seven is fine, Carlisle. I'll see you then," I replied before hanging up the phone.

I quickly picked up the phone again and dialed Alice's number.

"Isabella Marie Swan, there better be a perfectly good reason why you didn't call me after that party, and _why_ I'm hearing from you almost 24 hours later?!" said the angry little pixie.

"Alice, would you forgive me if I told you that I've met my Prince Charming?" I responded with a smile in my voice.

"OH MY GOD, BELLA! Spill! Is he French? How'd you meet? What does he do? What does he look like? Oh my God, spill, woman!"

I had to take a minute to catch my breath from laughing at Alice's typical enthusiasm regarding my love-life. She's only been pushing me to _go get 'em, tiger_ for oh...the last 8 years or so.

"Alice, breathe. Tell you what, I'll give you the entire scoop, in detail, via email later today. I've got a full day ahead of me and don't have time to answer the Alice-inquisition. But, I do need your help regarding wardrobe selection for tonight. I'm seeing Prince Charming and want everything to be extra-special," I said in a sheepish tone.

"Wait a minute...Bella! You're going to sleep with him tonight, aren't you? I knew you had a naughty little minx in you after all!" Alice exclaimed, and even without seeing her in person, I knew that she was most likely bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Okay, so what are the plans, besides the sexing, I mean," she said with a giggle.

That Alice, she always cut to the chase with things. I didn't even need to confirm or deny anything around her because she always seemed to know even before I told her.

I sighed and said, "Yes, Alice, I think tonight will be pivotal for me as I'm making a completely out of character move. But, it feels right, you know? He makes me feel comfortable, secure, beautiful, desired...okay, I'm going off on a tangent here. The point is that in addition to the plans I have for us, we're going to have dinner and he asked that I wear a cocktail dress for the date, which is why I need your help."

Alice giggled a little before she said, "Bella-dear, this is why I'm a pro at what I do. Sensing that Paris held promise for your future, I took the liberty of sending off your measurements to a couple of shops on the Champs-Élysées, so by 5 p.m. today, there will be a fabulous designer dress, shoes, and accessories awaiting in your hotel room for your date with Mr. Charming. I'm thinking that an Elie Saab would be perfect for tonight, don't you?"

"Pix, you're too much, but I knew that I could count on you to walk me through this, even if you're thousands of miles away," I replied, greatfully.

"That's what they pay me the big bucks for, honey!" She said in her usual sing-song voice. "By the way, what is the lucky guy's name?"

"Ah, his name is Carlise. Carlisle Cullen. _Doctor_ Carlisle Cullen...and don't you go Googling him just yet! Let me enjoy my night without you giving me the third degree based off some biased information you found on Wikipedia," I said with a warning tone in my voice.

She sighed before responding, "Fine. No Googling, but I better see an email from you in my inbox within 24 hours, missy. Oh! Before I forget, did you take the stuff out of the lingerie bag yet? There are some brand new La Perla gems that I stashed in there for _just in case_ cases," and she let off with a wicked laugh.

Not that I was surprised. For all I knew, she probably had one of those dreams of hers where she saw me in the throes of passion with my blond haired Prince Charming and figured that she'd better ship me off to France prepared.

"I don't even want to know _why_ you chose to pack that stuff in my bag, but once again, I'm grateful that you thought of it. Anyway, I've gotta run, Ali, so I'll catch up with you later, okay? Love ya."

"Alrighty, darling. Love ya, too. Have fun!"

The day passed by in a whirlwind of more press meets and book signings, which took up the bulk of my day. By the time I made it into my hotel's lobby it was already 5:30 and I still had to shower and primp. So, in an effort to save time, I stripped off most of my clothes inside the elevator and ran towards my suite door before anyone caught sight of me, half naked. As I let myself in, I found that the room was pitch black - something that was unusual, since housekeeping always left the lights on. I reached for the light switch and gasped as I took stock of what was before me.

Every flat surface in the room was adorned with huge, stunning bouquets of Stargazer, Casablanca, and Conca D'Or lilies. My favorites.

I didn't even have to look at any of the cards in order to guess who they were from, but decided to look anyway. I grabbed the card from the closest bouquet to the door and read:

**  
How delicious is the winning**  
**Of a kiss at love's beginning.**

**-Thomas Campbell**  
**Freedom and Love**

I wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, this _thing_ between Carlisle and I was exciting and new. On the other, it was overwhelming and fast. "Love's beginning?"

_Is this where he thinks we're headed?_

_He did mentioned marriage last night, but I thought it was for Victoria's sake._

_He couldn't possibly be considering..._

Not wanting to ponder that idea any further, I decided to take a quick shower and prepare for the evening's events. As I stepped out of the shower and into my boudoir, I noticed a beautiful strapless black dress, matching shoes, and accessories hanging on a rack next to the ornate full-length mirror in the room.  
_  
Alice and her wicked ways._

I swiftly dressed (making sure to put on the lingerie that Alice had sent) and styled my hair and make-up as best as I could without the help of an actual stylist. Lucky for me that all of the years spent as Alice's fashion guinea pig had served for something, because when I took one last look at myself in the mirror, I was actually pleased with the end result. Within minutes, I was answering a call from Front Desk, announcing the arrival of Carlisle's driver, Henri, and I gingerly made my way downstairs.

To say that I was nervous was an understatement. Tonight would set the tone for the rest of my stay in Paris and possibly my not too distant future.

"Bonsoir madame," said Henri, the limo driver.

Hoping to get info out of him, I replied, "Good evening Henri, what's on the itinerary for tonight?"

He chuckled before responding in a thickly accented English, "Ah, Miss Swan, I was told to drive and reveal nothing."

"I see. Very well," I sighed and sat back to enjoy the sights as Henri drove into the night.

Before long we were stopped in front of the opulent George V again. Henri opened my door and led me towards the lobby where an incredibly handsome Carlisle stood with a single Casablanca lily in hand. He took three long strides and wrapped his arms around me tightly before softly kissing my cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled into his sculpted chest. It felt so right in his arms. So secure.

"My darling, you are absolutely stunning," Carlisle said as he broke the stem off the lily and tucked it into my hair, behind my ear. "This pales in comparison to your allure, but I know they're your favorite and I couldn't resist using it as a reason to touch you."

I smiled and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips in response. When I looked into his eyes they smoldered with restrained passion.

_Tonight will be spectacular. I can feel it._

With his hand on the small of my back, Carlisle led me towards the hotel's elevator. Realizing where we were headed, my body froze as I looked at him questioningly. Although I was prepared to make love with him that night, I didn't believe that he'd be taking me to bed _first_. Sensing my sudden discomfort, he turned to face me and smiled before saying, "Dinner will be served on the balcony of my suite. It's got a lovely view of the city and it would give us the opportunity to talk in a more intimate setting." I sighed and giggled a bit in relief. There I was, assuming the worst when all he'd done was treat me with respect and admiration.

Carlisle and I made our way to the top floor, where has staying, of course, and I was immediately awestruck as we entered the suite. It was gorgeous and refined and luxurious. There was even a baby grand piano in the middle of the room.

"Do you play?" I asked as I watched Carlisle open a bottle of wine for us.

"Only a little bit. My life is too hectic to really make time for it," he replied, simply as he handed me a glass of wine and led me towards the balcony. If I had been awestruck by the beauty of the room, it paled in comparison to the view from the balcony. It had a gorgeous panoramic view of the city and featured a direct view of the Eiffel Tower. At night, all of the city's lights twinkled and you could practically feel the romance in the air.

It was absolutely perfect.

Carlisle and I ate dinner and chatted about a multitude of things in complete comfort and familiarity. There were no awkward silences. In fact, Carlisle was charming and enigmatic and the conversation simply flowed as if we'd known each other all our lives. On several occasions he'd stop talking long enough to reach across the table and cup my cheek or kiss my hand as his eyes burned into me and it was during those moments where I sensed the romantic note that lingered between us. I felt it in his touches and in his stare. But much more than that, I felt the unspoken seduction that was tearing down my defenses and making me feel completely wanted.

Once dinner had been cleared, Carlisle announced that it was "late enough" to head to our next destination. Honestly, after the amazing couple of hours that we had spent on the balcony, I secretly hoped that our night would simply continue inside his suite. However, I put a smile on my face as we made our way out to the limo in each other's arms.

We reached our destination shortly thereafter and it was then that I realized what our destination was. We were parked in front of the Louvre Museum. Carlisle stepped out of the car first and took my hand. Once out of the vehicle, I looked around and noticed that there weren't any people entering the museum, only passers-by walking towards other destinations.

Carlisle laced his fingers with mine and led the way towards the museum's doors.

"Carlisle, the museum...it looks like it's already closed," I said.

He turned to me with his typical wicked grin and said, "It is. However, I pulled a few strings and we get to have a private, after-hours tour."

_Whoa. The Louvre all to ourselves, without the throngs of pushy tourists. Amazing._

I minored in Art History in college, so this was indeed a treat.

Carlisle and I walked through all of the museum's corridors admiring and discussing all of the different pieces. We even had a healthy debate about the true identity of the lady in the Mona Lisa portrait. Of course, we also sneaked in a few passionate kisses and embraces in between. I had no idea how this night could get any better - well, actually, I could - but so far, it seemed as if Carlisle instinctively knew just how to make me feel happy.

After our private Louvre tour ended, we hopped back into the limo. Once Carlisle gave Henri the name of what I assumed was our next stop, he raised the partition between ourselves and the driver and we resumed our very intense kissing. It was indeed a hot make-out session and Carlisle completely delivered. He was equal parts sexy and rough as well as playful and sweet, and by the time we reached our destination, I was panting for breath and dying to get naked with him. But alas, there was more date stuff to be done. Besides, I really had to deliver a PG rated report for my blog's fans, so it was in fact important that most of what took place on this charity auction _date_ was something I could tell others about without crossing into X-rated territory.

I sighed in contemplation as we made our way out of the limousine and towards what looked like a typical Parisian café. The sign outside read _Chocolat_.

Once inside, I took in the decor of the place and realized that it was some sort of dance club with a stage, a bar, and scattered furnishings like sofas, tables, and chairs. It wasn't a typical disco, full of loud, obnoxious booty-shaking music, but instead was an understated, yet luxurious little hole in the the wall. Judging by the dark, rich earth tones and dim lights, I got the impression that this was a place which people flocked to more so for the ambiance than for the hook-up potential.

Carlisle wrapped one arm around my waist as he led me towards the mâitre-d's podium. A tall, attractive man with ebony skin greeted Carlisle in French with much familiarity as he led us to a table on a second story balcony inside the club. The entire area was covered by sheer red curtains and tea lights adorned all of the surrounding walls. There were also two sofas flanking each side of the table, and although the stage could be seen even from there, it was evident that the area had been set up to be very private.  
_  
Intimate, even. Much could go on here and no one would know._

We sat on one of the sofas and watched as a band set up for what I assumed would be a live show.

"What sort of place is this, Carlisle?" I quietly inquired.

"This is a private jazz club, Isabella. Only card holding members are allowed," he replied. "They cater to an upscale clientele who come here to wind down, away from prying eyes and the paparazzi, mostly."

As soon as he finished his sentence, the music started to play. I instantly recognized it, as it was one of my mom's favorites which she always played when she was in a particular mood. I was a kid back then and didn't get her reasons for practically playing that song to death, but sitting here in this dark, secluded club with a ridiculously handsome man beside me - who was placing soft kisses on my neck and shoulders - I suddenly got it. I _so_ got it.

I smirked as I thought of all the things we could be doing while this song played in the background, and just as I did, Carlisle glanced at me and grinned ever so wickedly. There were no words exchanged, but the intensity of his stare echoed all of the things that my mind was running wild with.

As the next song began to play, Carlisle stood before me and held his hand out.

"Dance with me, my darling." he said.

I grabbed hold of his hand and jumped to my feet. Carlisle pulled me into his body tightly before gently grabbing hold of my shoulders and turning me so that my back was flush with his chest. His hands then traveled slowly down the length of my arms before settling on my hips. I could feel his own hips (and prominent erection) grinding into my behind as the music played. He slowly rolled my hips with his hands until we were both grinding to the beat of the music and I couldn't help but find it erotic and sensual, especially in that dark room, surrounded by all those candles. At one point, he wrapped one arm around my waist while keeping the other on my hip and I could feel his fingers digging into my skin, as if he was attempting to get more friction, making me feel desperate to turn around and continue our _dance_ face to face, chest to chest. Every nerve ending on my body was tuned in to his every movement, especially as he ignited the bare skin of my neck and shoulders with small butterfly kisses, making me weak with desire.

Although there was no deliberate groping between us, this dirty little dance of ours was without a doubt a mating call that I desperately wanted to answer as the flow of my arousal pooled between my legs. Each time that his hips rolled into my behind, I wanted to moan in delight, imagining his hips rolling into me elsewhere. In order to keep my legs from giving out from the lust-induced weakness that my body felt, I reached both of my arms back and locked them behind his neck as we danced to song after sexy song. Sometimes he'd whisper things in my ear and run his tongue lightly over it. Other times, he'd run his hands gently down the length of my outstretched arms and down the sides of my breasts until they'd rest again at my hips where he would grind harder into me.

I had never before felt so much lust for a man as I did at that moment and it was beyond evident that he desired me just as much. Truthfully, it was starting to become painful to continue this game without some sort of release and I silently prayed that he too would be feeling the need to head back to his hotel, pronto.

Carlisle leaned into my neck and brushed his lips across my jaw until he stopped right at my ear and whispered between ragged breaths, " Isabella...my darling...you're driving me crazy."

All I could think of at that moment was the two of us doing this same dance while naked in Carlisle's suite. I could picture him caressing my breasts from behind as he continuously ground his erection into my bare ass with his tongue licking over the sweet spot behind my ear.

Eventually, we reached a point during our dance-slash-foreplay where I could no longer hold in my desire for him, so I turned around, grabbed his shirt's collar and crashed my lips into his. I simply _had to_ taste him. I nipped his plump bottom lip several times before slowly licking my way across it. Then, with the tip of my tongue, I lightly licked the Cupid's Bow on his top lip before he abruptly pulled back and looked into my eyes. There was definitely a fire raging within them. Without a word said between us, Carlisle's kissed me hungrily as he carried me over to one of the sofas and practically throwing me on it. He stood before me, panting for breath, and I watched as the expression on his face changed to one of animalistic desire.

I wanted this; I wanted it so badly, and I wanted it with him. I laid on the sofa seductively as he continued to stand before me and seduce me with his stare. He didn't move an inch. He just stared as if he could tear my clothes off with his eyes alone.

"Isabella...I want...I don't think..." he said in a guttural voice. "I don't think that I could continue being a gentleman with you tonight, wanting..."

Armed with a sudden rush of self-confidence, I put the bait our there for him. "Tell me what you want, Carlisle. Tell me...please. I'm full of want too." I replied in a breathless voice.

Suddenly, he hissed and his arms were around me. His lips burned mine with a searing kiss that felt like the answer to my prayers.

Seconds later, I was being pulled out of my seat, practically carried down the stairs, and out into the cold Parisian night. Luckily, Henri was parked right in front of the club, so he quickly jumped from where he sat and rushed to open our door.

"Thank you, Henri. Home please," was all Carlisle said as we made our way into the limousine.

We sat inside quietly, without looking at each other for a couple of minutes before Carlisle turned to look at me and spoke again.

"Isabella, my darling, do you...want...this?" he said almost hesitantly. "I need to know if I'm overstepping my bounds with you. I don't want-"

I placed 2 fingers over his lips and looked him in the eye so he could see no doubt in me as I said, "Yes, Carlisle. I want you. More than I've ever desired another man."

And _that_ was the beginning of the most amazing night, ever.

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**Chapter End Notes:**

**Sorry about the sorta-cliffy ending there, since I did promise sexing to my Twilighted peeps. I had intended on giving you all of the night's events in one chapter, but it would've turned out to be a 20 pager by the time I was done giving you the Full Monty. But never fear, I've already started the next chapter and hope to have it out shortly. 'Kay? Are we good? Well, we will be, once you get some Carlisle/Bella lemon, I'm sure.** **;-)**

**Review, s'il vous plaît?** **And merci!**


	4. La Petit Mort

**Disclaimer: **Recognizable characters? Stephenie Meyer's. Duh.  
The dirty things they do on here? Mine, baby, mine. I live to corrupt the masses.  
This one's for Kitty, by the way, because she's a dirty birdie.  
**  
Okay ladies (and gents), here's where the shizz gets panty-drop worthy, as promised. ;)**

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**A bit o' music for this chapter:**  
Justify My Love - Madonna / Wicked Game - Chris Isaak / Erotica - Madonna

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_Delicious._

Carlisle's kisses were nothing short of delicious. Sinfully delicious. A mixture of raw heat and desire and ecstasy.

As we traveled towards our final destination of the night - to Carlisle's hotel suite - we kissed and caressed each another with wild abandon. His touches were deliberate and skillful and I knew without a doubt that I'd experience a plethora of carnal pleasures in his arms tonight.

I was so caught up in my desire for him that I didn't even register our arrival at Carlisle's hotel, and before long, I stood pressed up against the door inside his suite, attempting to catch my breath in between Carlisle's incredibly passionate kisses.

"Mmmm, Bella, I need to taste every inch of your body. Right now," he said, his voice dripping with lust as his nose lightly skimmed across my collar bone and neck.

I turned myself around and looked back at Carlisle with hooded eyes and said, "Then, start by unzipping this dress."

He shook his head slowly and said "Uh-uh," with a wicked smile and a lustful look in his eyes. "Only the panties. Are you wearing panties, my love?"

I felt myself drip into them.

Ever so slowly, I turned back around, looked up at him through my lashes and nodded.

"Take off the panties. Do it now." His voice was firm and commanding.

I proceeded to raise the hem of my dress - while keeping my eyes locked with his - and held it up in one hand at my waistline, giving him a perfect view of my tiny see-through panties. Carlisle groaned in clear delight as he caught sight of my bare, whisper soft folds through the pretty lace triangle that covered it.

I slowly licked my lips as I hooked my thumbs on both sides of the tiny scraps of lace and moved to pull them down. However, before I could move any further, Carlisle put his hands over mine and said, "Stop. Let _me_."

He kneeled before me, hooked his fingers onto the sides of my barely-there panties, and in one swift motion, ripped them off my body and left my bottom half completely exposed to him. His warm hands instantly gripped my behind tightly as he brought my hips closer to his face and inhaled the scent of my very wet pussy. I was literally dripping down my exposed thighs and could not wait to feel his slick tongue erotically stroking my awaiting flesh. He had barely even touched me, yet I already wanted him inside.

"Unghhh, Carlisle...please...touch me...baby, please," I pleaded. It was all I could muster as he remained on his knees with his face in front of my dripping folds. I grabbed hold of his hair in an effort to coax him into burying his face within me, but he quickly stood up, turned me around, and pinned me against the door with both my arms locked in a tight grip behind my back.

He then leaned his face into my neck, breathing heavily as he whispered, "Let's get one thing straight, Isabella. This is my show. I call the shots. I tell you what to do and I tell you when to cum. Is that understood?"

I was so turned on that all I could do was nod.

"I didn't hear you. Am I understood? Say, 'Yes, my love', if you understand."

Barely able to get my voice out, I replied, "Yes...m-my love," in between panted breaths. This game he was playing was beginning to feel like torture.

Without releasing his hold on my arms, Carlisle used one hand to run his fingers across my behind, gliding lightly over each cheek and into my rim. Every surface of my body was afire and alert as I anticipated his next touch. He then lightly dipped a finger at my entrance and said, "Mmmm. _My_ pussy. So wet. Just for me," before plunging that digit into my backdoor. My entire body tensed at the unexpected intrusion.

"Shhh. Relax," he whispered. "I only want to make you feel good, Bella. I promise that this will feel _so_ good. Tonight you're going to be screaming my name and begging me to let you cum because your body will feel pleasure like never before."

_Oh, God._

He released his grip on my arms and pulled them both above my head while still keeping me pinned against the door.

"Don't you dare move until I tell you to," he said menacingly.

With his finger still inside of me, his other hand stroked my inner thigh. I desperately wanted to feel friction against my now ravenous mound and unconsciously moved my hips towards his hand.

"I SAID, DON'T MOVE!" He growled at me as he slapped my behind, hard. I hissed as I felt the sting of his forceful hand and looked back to see a bright red mark which Carlisle then kissed, licked, and gently rubbed.

"Don't make me do that again, okay, Isabella? Can you promise to be a good girl from now on?" He whispered in my ear as he licked it.

"Y-Yes," I whimpered**.**

Carlisle slowly pumped his finger in and out of my backdoor as he reached up front with his other hand in order to stroke my now desperately needy bundle of nerves. I felt 2 fingers rub my clit in a circular motion - first slowly and then faster - all while he fingered my behind. It was torturous and erotic and oh so fucking hot.

"Oh God, Carlisle...oh God...I wanna cum...unghhh...feels _so_ good," I moaned.

Carlisle pulled his hands away almost instantly and turned me around to face him. I suddenly felt myself go weak and lightheaded, being that my body was on the brink of an orgasm which was abruptly foiled. Luckily, he noticed and carried me bridal-style towards the bed where he dropped me face down onto the mattress. He then pulled my legs towards him so I was bent over the side of the bed with my behind exposed.

Bending over me and laughing wickedly in my ear, he said, "Not just yet, my love. You don't get to cum just yet." And with that, he plunged two large fingers into my soaking wet petals. I instantly clenched around his fingers and began grinding my hips against his hand. I was desperate for release. He pumped me hard and fast several times before pulling them out and once again leaving me weak with desire. Carlisle continuously had me at the brink of orgasm only to bring me back out again and it was utterly exhausting. I kept laying my head down constantly to keep from passing out. Nonetheless, I awaited more from him because I knew that he couldn't keep withholding his desire any more than I could. I was certain that sooner, rather than later, I'd be feeling his pulsing length inside of me.

Suddenly, the sound of clothing dropping onto the floor alerted me to the potential of a very naked Carlisle standing behind me, and of course, I couldn't resist a look.

_Dear. Gawd._

He was completely naked and magnificent. All athletic, and muscular, and lean, and defined.

_So yummy._

But his dick..._my_ God. It was a sight to behold, standing proudly at attention, just for me. Long...thick...pink..._perfect_. I wanted to devour every inch of it and have it buried deeply inside my sweetest secrets.

But Carlisle, of course, had other plans.

With his hand firmly grasping and stroking his beautiful cock, he said, "My love, lay back on the bed and spread your legs wide for me, then take your fingers and split open that sweet pussy so I can stare at it before I fuck it with my tongue."

My over-heated pussy was suddenly dripping in delight as my mind processed what he intended to do to me.

_Oh, yes. Fuck me, Carlisle._

He leaned down and placed his face right between my legs as he ogled my naked flesh. I could feel his hot breath sweeping across my most tender skin, igniting my desire even further. My body shivered in anticipation and I thought I'd come undone the minute his tongue touched my skin.

"Mmmm, my love, that has got to be the prettiest pussy I have ever seen in my entire life and I'm going to love eating it raw." Carlisle gave one long, slow lick down the length of my slit before lapping up all of the juices that coated my overwhelmingly aroused flower. I heard him moan in delight as he tasted every inch.

This wasn't just a sexual encounter; it was a complete mind fuck and I was a crazed, lustful newborn in Carlisle's world of erotic play. The way he teased and pleased my body was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The build-up of sexual tension he created within me was akin to standing at the very edge of a precipice and begging to be pushed off. I wanted his hands, his tongue, and his beautiful cock all over me, inside me; touching, tasting, and penetrating until my body could stand no more. I couldn't even think straight; all I could focus on was the urges of my flesh and it was all his doing.

Carlisle continued his oral ministrations on my now desperately throbbing flesh, but never stroked one spot long enough to let me cum.

"Take the dress off," he commanded, as he moved his mouth away from my still ravenous heat. I did exactly as I was told. Once the dress was on the ground, he pointed at my bra and demanded that I get rid of it too. I was suddenly completely naked before him and his eyes devoured every inch of me in a lascivious way.

"Fucking gorgeous," he said. "You really are perfection incarnate, Bella. Flawless creamy skin, perfect breasts, pretty pussy, and a yummy round ass. I'm going to make you mine tonight. You know this, right?"

I nodded.

"Now lay back down and spread your legs again," he instructed.

He took his time alternating between licking and sucking on my oh-so-swollen nub and licking, sucking, pinching, and rolling my hardened nipples. God, it was so painfully good. Every time he touched me, large beads of sweat ran down my naked, trembling body, as it begged for that sweet, lush ecstasy that I knew his body could provide me. I wasn't above begging and pleading for my release at this point, but that seemed to only motivate him to prolong my frustration further. All I wanted was to die a little death and I wanted it now.

Eventually, when I could no longer hold it together, I sat up and practically barked my frustration at him.

"God damn it, Carlisle! I fucking need you _so_ badly. Stop fucking torturing me already and please, please fuck me. I'm begging you."

Carlisle stopped what he was doing and stood before me, stroking his glistening cock. He gave me his signature wicked smile and I instinctively knew that he was thinking of torturing me some more.

"That's what I like, my love," he said in a seductive, guttural voice. "I want to see you come completely undone and hear you beg for your release. I want you to beg for my cock inside your delicious pussy."

My insides quivered at the sound of his dirty talk. It was such an incredible turn on to hear Carlisle Cullen, a man so polished and proper, being such a deviant who was willing to withhold his own release for the sake of pleasuring me until I passed out from sexual bliss. However, I desperately needed to turn the tables and make him give in; make him lose his control and submit to the demands of his own flesh. Sensing how much he enjoyed the role of sexual dominant, I decided to play the submissive kitten role to my favor in order to entice him into finishing me off.

"Unngghhh, baby...you're driving me crazy...I'll do anything...anything you want," I said in a low, breathy voice. "I want to please you so badly...let me please you...let me get on my knees to please you. Please, let me..."

Before I could finish speaking, he positioned the wet tip of his hot length on my lower lip, demanding entrance. I secretly smirked as I realized that I had actually gotten him to break his control. I'd take him into my mouth and bring him to the brink of his own orgasm only to stop and get him to take me. Then we'd float in our blissful release together.

"Open up, Isabella. Don't make me force you," he commanded.

I looked up at him with hooded, lust-filled eyes and said in the sultriest voice I could muster, "Oh, you don't have to force anything, Carlisle. I am your willing submissive who will do _anything_ to please you."

I opened my mouth and relaxed my jaw. This was something that I was particularly good at and enjoyed doing very much, so I knew that he'd be putty in my mouth. He had no idea how much he was going to enjoy _my_ oral ministrations on him and I was prepared to torture him just as well as he had tortured _me_.

Carlisle slowly slid in and I sucked in my cheeks in order to get a tighter grip on him. I didn't even need to stroke him with my hand because to his utter amazement and excitement, I took in his entire length in with ease. Once inside, he grabbed a fist full of my hair and hissed at the pleasurable sensations. I let him set the pace of his thrusts, but _I_ controlled the depth and suction just to keep him at the very brink of rapture.

His eyes were shut tightly and his head was thrown back in satisfaction.

"Unghhh, Bellaaaa...you can...deep...throat. Unghhh...so...fucking good....baby...unghhh...yes...suck it, baby...unghhh...good girl," he managed to say between thrusts. Within minutes I felt his muscles tense and his breath become ragged, so I pulled my mouth away. His fist was still in my hair and he attempted to put himself back into my mouth, but I resisted. It was time to play hardball.

"You want more, baby?" I said in a coquettish tone. "Put it in my pussy and feel every inch of the exquisite bliss that's inside of me."

His eyes burned with intense desire and anger as he flipped me over on the bed.

"You're playing with fire, Isabella," he said menacingly. "I want you to kneel in front of the headboard, place your hands on it, and stick your ass out where I can see that pretty pussy from behind."

I did exactly as he commanded and kneeled in front of the headboard, awaiting his next move. Without a word, I felt his hardened length right at my entrance. My eyes rolled to the back of my head just from the rush of expectation. I knew that this was the tip of the iceberg, the edge of the precipice, and I was beyond ready to throw myself off, with Carlisle buried deep inside of me, of course.

"Do you wanna get fucked, Isabella?" He whispered in my ear. "Because I've been torturing myself all night, imagining my cock buried to the hilt inside your tempting pussy."

"Oh God...please." I whispered. His words would be my undoing. I was mad with lust and needed him to give me every inch of himself, now.

He gripped my hips hard as his thick cock rammed into my awaiting center, working himself into me fast and hard. We both struggled to catch our breaths as we slammed our bodies against one another, and for a moment, I thought that I'd explode just from the sheer ecstasy of finally having him inside of me. I felt myself become lightheaded with the intense pleasure I was feeling, but no way would I let myself miss one second of this bliss. The coil in my lower belly was stretched nice and taught and I knew that with just a few more thrusts I'd be flying high. My pleasure index at this point was registering off the charts as I moaned and whispered his name in utter delight.

Carlisle slowed his thrusts for a moment as he leaned his body into mine and licked from my collar bone all the way up to my ear. He then whispered, "Do you wanna cum now, my love? I'm ready to let you cum. Just tell me...tell me, who does this sweet pussy belong to?"

Delirious for that heavenly release, I responded, "Yours, Carlisle. My pussy is yours, only yours."

"Only mine," he said, as he pounded into me, hard and fast once again. He then pinched my clit between his fingers and I fell into the most exquisite oblivion ever imaginable.

This was, hands down, the most erotic, intense, & pleasurable night of my young life.

Within seconds, Carlisle too reached his apex with growls, panting, and loud grunts. Clearly feeling exhausted, he pulled out of me and laid out on the bed. I wasn't sure what would happen next, but he surprised me by pulling my body into his embrace and holding onto me tightly as he placed soft kisses all over my face. Suddenly, this night of intense, erotic sex transformed into a sweet and gentle exchange between two people who seemed in love. How had he managed to shift everything and make me feel this way within moments? Being held in his arms like that felt right. Just right. And as I laid there being caressed and cherished, I let myself believe in the possibility of a relationship with him.

Carlisle was everything that a woman could want in a man. He was handsome, intelligent, cultured, romantic, and absolutely amazing in bed. One would have to be a fool to let him go. But, I had to know exactly what his intentions were and what he felt for me before I could let myself hope for anything real beyond one night. After all, he could have his pick of women. And at that moment, I had no guarantees that I'd even see him again, once I returned to my hotel. I needed to push the envelope and see where the evening's events put the two of us. I knew that I'd need some time alone - time to think outside of the sexual and potentially romantic haze. I attempted to pry myself from his embrace and make my way into the bathroom to think for a bit but his hold on me only became tighter.

"Stay. Please." He whispered.

It was almost a complete contradiction to the hard, commanding Carlisle of a few minutes ago.

"Carlisle, it's late. I should go," I said.

"No, Bella. Please stay. The whole night. Forever, if you choose to," he replied, as he held my chin and looked into my eyes.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. I wanted so much to believe that he wanted me as more than just a good fuck. But I wanted him to tell me so, in no uncertain terms. I looked into his eyes, seeking and silently begging him with my own for something that would make me _know_ that tonight was more than just casual sex to him. I didn't want to wake up at this hotel in the morning and do the walk of shame only to never hear from him again. I wanted more.

"Bella, tonight was extraordinary..."

_Oh God. Here it comes, the infamous "But."_

I have no idea what kind of expression was on my face, but he clearly saw my distress and rushed to clarify his words.

"No, no, please don't misunderstand," he said, as he quickly sat up and cupped my face in his hands. He looked deeply into my eyes and I saw nothing but adoration in them.

"You are flawless and amazing and everything that a man could ask for, Isabella, and I'd like nothing more than to claim you for my own. Not just sexually, my darling, but as the woman that I'd proudly hold in my arms before the world."

_That was so much more than what I'd hoped for, but what exactly did he mean by that?_

"Carlisle, I don't understand," I replied with slight trepidation, as I didn't want to assume anything.

"Bella, have I made a place for myself within your heart at all? Could you see yourself by my side tomorrow, or next month, or even ten years from now? I'm asking you to marry me, Bella. To be _mine_. Now. Tonight. Tomorrow. You pick the day. We can marry atop the Eiffel Tower if you like. Just say that you will."

To say that I was floored would be a huge understatement.

I knew that my eyes must have been wide as saucers as I processed the utter shock that his words caused within me. I was prepared for him to say that he wanted to see me again tomorrow or the next day or even throughout my stay in Paris. But, I was _so_ not expecting a marriage proposal out of him. I wasn't sure how to respond. All I could do was open my mouth, but no words would come out. I mean, we'd only known each other for 2 days!

Carlisle chuckled as he looked at my face and said, "Bella, my darling. I know that this seems impossibly fast to you, but at this point in my life, I know exactly what I'm looking for. And you...you are that rare gem. You are exactly the woman I've been waiting for and I'd be a fool to let you walk out of my life without making you mine."

I sat up with a start, suddenly feeling uncertain about what I really wanted out of this and replied,"But...what about love, Carlisle? Can you honestly say that you're in love with me?"

He took my hands in his and said, "Can you honestly say that you aren't already_ on your way_ to falling in love with me?"

"I know that I'm already falling for you hard, and every moment that I spend with you makes me yearn for you even more." He added.

"Bella, I'm not some reckless twenty-year old who proposes to every infatuation that he has. I'm certain that this is right. I'm also certain that it _is_ indeed possible to find that one right person in one night, just as I'm certain that you are the right woman for me. Please believe that."

All I could do was look into his beautiful blue eyes. There were no words and I was in fact swept off my feet. My eyes began to pool with tears as overwhelming emotions coursed though me. There was excitement, joy, love, and fear. Did I _love_ Carlisle Cullen? Could I agree to marrying him so soon?

_For once in your life, Bella, take that leap of faith and jump!_

I took a deep breath.

"Carlisle, give me one month. Stay with me in Paris for one month and I will give you the answer to your proposal, " I said.

"Fair enough." He replied.

***

The next month was spent in a whirlwind of dates, kisses, sights, embraces, cafes, dancing, castles, romance, and lots of lovemaking. We never did have sex like the first night throughout the rest of our stay in Paris. But what we did do during the times we spent naked and in each other's arms was nothing short of amazing and romantic.

Maybe it was the influence of the city around us, but as each day passed, I found myself falling deeply, deeply in love with Carlisle Cullen and I couldn't wait to become his wife.

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**So? What did you think? Did I do alright by you? Can you see yourself as Bella falling for this version of Carlisle? Tell me, tell me! Your thoughts and opinions are music to my ears. :)**


	5. Distractions

**DISCLAIMER: Recognizable Characters - **Stephenie Meyer's**  
Plot, Mr. Hart, & Henri - **Mine, mostly due to late nights on the internet chatting with some of the most creative and talented (yet randy) bitches ever known.

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**Musique for zees chapturh:**

Distractions - Zero 7 / Cold Shoulder - Adele / Don't Stay - Linkin Park

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**Present day...**

"What the hell is up with Bella these days?" I asked after eyeballing her on the sofa across the room.

"Same old, same old," Alice replied, her tone conveying her growing concern. "She mopes, sighs, rarely gets out of those ratty old sweats, and still won't open up about it."

For the past few weeks, Bella had gone from a happy, vivacious woman to a mopey, PMSy harpy and it was starting to get on my nerves. She seemed withdrawn and sad, but never came clean as to why when we asked. Nevertheless, I had a feeling that I knew the cause: Carlisle.

In the time that I'd known Bella, I've witnessed a bit of the roller coaster that is their relationship. One of their biggest issues is that Carlisle travels a lot for work, sometimes for weeks at a time, and although Bella has known this from the get-go, the frequent travels (which had become even more frequent as of late) were starting to affect their marriage in a negative way. Without knowing all of the details (and without mentioning the eavesdropping that Alice had done on occasion), from our points of view, Bella was lonely and suffering from the lack of intimacy she and Carlisle used to share.

She had once confided that when they first married, she'd travel with him everywhere and they'd made love in many places all over the globe. Bu, as time passed, she stayed behind more and more often. For the most part, Bella stayed behind because of work commitments, but she'd sometimes stay behind at Carlisle's request. Apparently, he managed to convince her that the frequent travels and jet lag were exhausting and utterly detrimental to her in the long run. Besides, Bella had never been fond of flying.

So, these days, Carlisle always traveled alone and Bella stayed at home.

Truth be told, Carlisle was gone so frequently lately that I often hoped someone would swipe the little woman right from under him and he'd be none the wiser. I mean, hell, I'm not into women, but even _I_ know a good woman when I see one. Bella is beautiful, intelligent, funny, & successful. She's practically every man's dream. Apparently, Carlisle had somehow taken that fact for granted, and if he wasn't careful, someone else could be filling his shoes in his absence.

Funny thing is that Carlisle continued to go about his business - oblivious to Bella's changing moods - living as if everything was peachy keen. However, it was obvious to everyone who could see that the more often he stayed away, the more distance he put between them, and let the romance cool. I knew it and Alice knew it. Bella knew it, too. Why didn't _he_? I hated seeing Bella unhappy. And she was indeed unhappy, no matter how much she tried to pretend that everything was okay. Shit, I'm no doctor and it was pretty damn obvious to _me_. How does a world-renowned psychologist not notice that his own wife is lonely and depressed?

Alice and I had to do something about it.

"You did bring the Patron, right? I said. "It's intervention time."

"Sure did." She replied with a wink.

Bella, Alice, and I spent the remainder of the night at Alice's, drinking shots of Patron and watching chick flicks. Alice and I did the drink-and-dump on the sly, but Bella, wallowing in her misery, drank and drank until she was spilling her beans to us, as planned.

"Rose...Rosalie...you're good with men, right?" Bella slurred. "How can I keep my man home with me more often? I mean, I prance around the house naked, I wear sexy nighties...hell, I even deep-throat him, for Pete's sake! And still...it's as if when the clock strikes twelve, my Prince Charming has to leave before his carriage turns into a pumpkin!"

I knew it. That bastard is pulling that shit on Bella now. I fuckin' knew it.

It was all too familiar to me. I remembered being the one trying my damnedest to keep my man from running off to fulfill his "obligations" and spend more time together as a couple. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way what these obligations involved. So, I hoped for Bella's sake that he was in fact overwhelmed with work and that this wasn't a repeat of my past. However, it had been my experience that a leopard never really changes its spots, so I simply opted to hope for the best and brace for the worst. In the meantime, I needed to get Bella to focus on something other than her husband, for her own peace of mind. It's never healthy to depend on another person for your happiness, and hers was obviously dependent on Carlisle.

"Bells, honey...maybe it's time you got yourself a little distraction of your own outside of work commitments. You're too focused on Carlisle's comings and goings and you shouldn't have your life revolve around his," I said with a fake smile. I really just wanted to tell her that I had several eligible bachelors lined up who'd just love the chance to fill in for that bastard during his absences.

"But Rosie-honey, " she said, and I knew that she was getting shit-faced as she never calls me "Rosie-honey" unless she's had a few drinks in her.

"I don't need a distraction, I need _him_," she sobbed.

_Great. Here come the waterworks._

"Okay Bella, I was trying to be gentle about this, but really, you leave me no choice," I replied. "Pull your shit together and stop fuckin' moping. No one can step on you if you don't lie down and let them - and believe me, you're letting him."

She instantly stopped sobbing and looked at me with her eyes wide.

"Is that...is that what it seems like to you?" she said with a hiccup.

"Seems like?" I scoffed. "Bella, we _all_ see it. You might deny it to yourself, but you're certainly not fooling _us_."

She looked over at Alice who had been unusually quiet throughout our exchange.

"And you agree, Ali? Am I being a doormat?" She said with unshed tears in her eyes.

Alice grabbed Bella's hand and squeezed.

"Bella-sweetie, you do know that Rosalie and I love you, right? We'd never do or say something to deliberately hurt you...but I do have to say this..." Alice took a deep breath before continuing. "Have you ever considered that Carlisle might not actually be working during all of his trips abroad?"

_Oh shit. She did not just go there._

I needed to fix this pronto. Bella's eyes were practically bulging out of her head as she processed Alice's words.

I grabbed Bella's other hand in order to shift her attention towards me.

"Bells...Bella. Listen, what Alice means is that maybe he needs to unwind and do man-things on his own sometimes, you know, with so much work and commitments and such, one would think that he'd have the need to de-stress on his own sometimes."

Alice looked at me like I had three heads, so I used my eyes in an effort to convey that now was not the time to voice our suspicions about Carlisle to Bella. Luckily, Alice understood. However, Bella would need clarification.

"But, but...why would he want to be without me when we barely see each other as it is? Shouldn't he _want _to rush home to me as soon as he had the opportunity?" She replied with a worried expression on her face.

_Shit, shit, shit._  
_  
Bring it back around, Rosalie. Fix this!_

"Bella, who knows why men do what they do? 'Men are from Mars and women are from Venus' and shit, ya know? Trust me."

Avoiding answering the question directly always worked for dudes, so I was crossing my fingers that it worked for me.

She took a deep breath before conceding, "I suppose you're right, Rose."

I sighed in relief.

Then she came back and spilled some more.

"The thing is...the thing is...that I feel as if I'm losing him...and I'm scared, you guys. We've been married for almost 3 years and we hardly make love anymore," she said in a sad tone. "Did I tell you girls that I stopped taking the pill about a year ago?"

Both Alice and I looked at each other quickly but said nothing in response. Bella continued.

"I'm ready to have a baby. I _want_ to be a mom. I _want_ to give Carlisle a child. But, how do I do that when he's hardly around to even touch me?" She said wistfully. "You guys, I'm worried that I might not be enough for Carlisle, and that maybe he's thinking that he settled for me when he could've had someone better."

Alice quickly jumped in and hugged her.

"Oh honey, never! Carlisle is the one that should be thanking his lucky stars for landing you." Alice said. "Bella, for God's sake, you are a gem and I'm sure that if you just talked to him about this he'd be more responsive. You shouldn't keep him in the dark about this."

"But that's just it, Alice. I told him that I wanted to have a baby and all he said was 'Okay'."

At this point, I needed to come up with some sort of save. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Carlisle never wanted to have kids. Besides, I knew better, and just an "Okay" response from him did not register as acceptance in my book. I think that Bella knew that too. Now, how he intended on avoiding the unavoidable was beyond _me_. Maybe not being home as often was his way of avoiding getting Bella pregnant?

"Bella, I think we all aspire to be moms in our lifetime, but don't you think it's a little soon for that?" I said.

What I didn't dare to say was that I absolutely understood her. Heck, I too wanted the husband, the nice house with the white picket fence, and 2.3 kids, despite what people perceived me as. However, I wasn't very optimistic that there were still men out there who'd be willing to share that dream with a woman such as myself.

I was suddenly lost in my internal musings when Alice came to the rescue.

"Rose..." Her eyes pleaded with me to drop it.

Alice turned to Bella and beckoned her with a mother-hen tone. "Bella, sweetie...let's go sleep off the booze and tomorrow we'll talk more on this, when we're all sober, okay?"

Bella agreed and made her way to Alice's guest room after a round of hugs and good-nights.

Alice and I stayed up way after Bella had gone to bed and discussed how best to assess the Bella/Carlisle situation. Of course, I wasn't about to tell Alice that I knew Carlisle from the past, but I needed to get more information on what _she_ knew in order to file away for future reference.

"Okay, Alice, the coast is clear. What do you know so far?"

She sighed.

"Well, it's taken me a while to put things together, but here it is, in a nutshell."

I held my breath.

"Apparently, Dr. Cullen has had a very colorful past. One that Bella is obviously unaware of and one which I think may still be part of Carlisle's present, considering how things are panning out," she said.

God, she could be so exasperating. "Okay, you're talking in codes. Facts. Details. What. Do. You. Know?"

"He's known in his social circles for his many sexual exploits and hedonistic ways. And I mean, '_is_ known', not '_was_ known', as in, not a thing of the past," she said in a hushed tone. None of this surprised me in the least, but I still pretended to be surprised.

"How reliable is your source?" I asked.

"I was hired to do the styling for a group of European socialites a couple of months ago and overheard 'talk' amongst two women where they mentioned 'Dr. Cullen', so I made sure to pay attention whenever I was working with them. I eventually put things together and point-blank asked one of them about him while pretending to be 'in' on the topic."

"Go on," I said.

"Well, she said that she'd had the pleasure of being one of his 'extra curriculars' a few times and that they had been the most pleasurable sexual experiences of her life. Then, the last time I saw her, she told me all about how he's the epitome of discretion with their 'arrangements', considering his 'situation', and even asked me if I had been a recent extra-curricular as well, which was what tipped me off that he may still be indulging in that lifestyle."

"However, I don't have concrete proof that this may indeed be the case," Alice said with a sigh. She was clearly feeling the weight of the information she was carrying around, not being able to tell Bella but not being able to ignore it either.

I leaned over and tapped her knee in order to give her a sense of re-assurance.

"Don't you worry about it, Ali. I'm gonna take care of this. I know a Private Eye based out of L.A. who's famous for tracking, catching, and gathering information on cheating spouses. So, if Carlisle is pulling one over on Bella, we'll have all the goods to present to her. Just leave it to me, okay?" I said.

Alice nodded in acceptance. I needed to get back to L.A and begin to formulate a plan of action.

***

On the flight back to L.A. I thought upon how destiny had brought me to this place where not only would I once again cross paths with Xander's father, but that he'd be married to one of my best friends and (most likely) still up to no good.

Part of me rejoiced at the fact that I'd have the power to hurt him as he'd hurt me, but part of me was in fact conflicted because I didn't want to re-open that long-closed wound. Nevertheless, I found myself remembering...

_"Rosalie, you are a goddess among mortals. More beautiful than anything I have ever known," he said._

_How that man made me swoon. How blind I had been to his games._

_Carlisle had been my college professor for about 2 months when he asked me to stay after class one day. All of the girls in our class thought he was extremely good looking and each of us harbored secret crushes on him. So, naturally, I was thrilled when he singled me out for an after class chat._

_"Miss Hale, would you please see me after class?" He said._

_Once class had been dismissed I remained by my desk awaiting further instructions from him. Besides, my heart was pounding out of my chest and I was almost certain he'd notice if I stood too close to him. He sat at his desk to the right of the podium and looked up at me with those gorgeous baby blues. Those eyes practically pierced through me._

_That was the first time that I felt the weight of his stare and the mutual attraction between us. Eventually, our interactions became more frequent and more familiar - _much more_ familiar - and off campus, of course. Carlisle was my first love and my first lover. He was everything to me. He said and did all of the right things and I had no doubt that he'd marry me once I was done with school. He even said so himself._

_How naive I had been._

_On the day that the test came back positive, I wanted to surprise him by telling him in a special way. I knew that his last class ended at 10 pm, so I dressed up in some really hot lingerie, a pair of 'fuck-me' pumps, and a trench coat and decided to wait for him by his car in the parking lot. After driving around for about 15 minutes, I finally found Carlisle's car parked in the distance near the woods adjacent to the school. I pulled up near it and walked out of my car. His car's engine was running and the windows were foggy. I couldn't see a thing inside, but I could definitely hear moaning coming from within._

_"Oh dear God. He wouldn't," I thought with pure fear._

_I immediately rushed back to my car and sat inside. My heart pounded in my chest and felt myself begin to hyperventilate. Unable to move, I simply watched and waited for something to happen._

_After about what seemed like an eternity in hell, the back door opened and out walked that red-headed whore - the one from the admissions office - who proceeded to put her underwear back on as she stepped out of the car. As I watched her bend over to pull her panties all the way up, a large male arm stretched out behind her and its hand smacked her ass, hard. The whore squealed in delight, turned around, and threw herself back inside - all along giggling and squealing like the pig that I knew she was._

_It was too dark for me to see the man inside clearly, but it was _my_ Carlisle's car, after all, so I opened my car door and walked over to get a better view. To my utter shock and horror, I saw that it was in fact _Carlisle_ inside, and that red-headed whore had her tongue shoved down his throat._

_It was _my Carlisle, who sat shirtless inside the car with his pants and boxers down around his ankles while still sporting a sizable erection.

_"You fucking son of a bitch!" I yelled. "You fucking degenerate bastard!"_

_I lunged at him inside the car not caring that the red-headed whore was in my way. Carlisle was clearly stunned to see me there and as such didn't have a chance to react. Acting out of rage and instinct, I grabbed hold of his hair and punched him in the face a couple of times. The bitch beside me did nothing but stand next to the car door, screaming bloody murder, and that's when Carlisle came back to his senses._

_"Rosalie, goddamn it! Knock it the fuck off!" He yelled as he shoved me out of the car forcibly, making me land on my ass on the cold asphalt. He quickly pulled his pants up, jumped out of the car, and stood before me with a look of terror in his eyes._

_At this point, I was crying hysterically and trying to get back up in order to get the hell out of there, but not before choking the shit out of the red-headed whore. I clawed at her face, yanked her hair out of her head in chunks, and settled my hands at her neck._

_"He was _my_ man, you pedestrian whore! Didn't you smell the scent of my pussy all over him? You _fucking_ tramp!"_

_Watching me go ballistic on the red-headed whore, Carlisle's reaction was to pull _me_ off her, grab hold of my wrists, and keep me in a tight arm lock behind my back._

_"Victoria, get the _fuck_ out of here! Now!" He spat at that bitch. She ran like a bat out of hell towards her own car, which was parked nearby. I would scratch her fuckin' eyes out once I got a hold of her again._

_Without releasing the tight grip on my arms, Carlisle quickly turned me around to face him. His eyes were bloodshot and angry. I didn't care. I spat in his face._

_"You despicable, lying bastard! I hope you rot in hell!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Here I was, believing all of your bullshit, all while you're fucking that red-headed whore and God knows who else!"_

_Suddenly, I felt the anger morph into the pain of heartbreak which cut through me like a sharp knife._  
_  
"God, please...just let me die now." I sobbed._

_Carlisle released his grip on me and I collapsed onto the floor, dropping on my hands and knees. I threw up almost instantly and the act reminded me of why I was there in the first place._

_Carlisle began to speak in a soft tone, "Rosalie, I-"_

_I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and looked up at him through angry, tear filled eyes as I cut him off. "No. You listen to _me_ one last time." I said with my jaw clenched tightly._

_"I came here to tell you that I'm gonna have your child."_

_He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off once again._

_"And before you even say anything, you motherfucker, this baby is absolutely yours. I was a virgin when you had me and I've been with no one else. You know this."_

_Carlisle took a deep breath as he stood there, looking down at me sadly before responding._

_"Rosalie, I'm not going to lie. I do love you, but I cannot resist the lure of a beautiful woman and how easily they throw themselves at me. I'm not a man who can be with just one woman, nor am I a man who can be a father. I don't and never will want children. Ever. If you want to be with me, you have to accept these facts." He said with a straight face._

_I felt as if I had been punched in the gut._

_I couldn't believe the words he was saying. That _my_ Carlisle was saying. Who _was_ this half naked man before me? Every hope and dream and desire I had ever had was ripped from within me in the blink of an eye. My life, as I knew it, became nothing more than a fairy tale idea of happiness that would never be._

_Pulling myself up from the ground, I walked up to Carlisle, placed my palms gently on his chest and softly kissed it, as I often did when we were intimate. I then stepped back while looking up at him with my most seductive smile and opened up my trench coat to reveal the "prize" inside. He smiled wickedly as he reached for my body, taking my actions as acceptance of his terms. But to his surprise, I stepped back and away from his touch for once in our relationship._

_Then, with all of the strength I had left in me, I said as swept my hand down the length of my body, "You see this?"_

_"_This_, will never, _ever_ be yours again. And the child that I'm carrying? _Our_ child, will be taken care of. Don't even worry about it. _That_, I can promise you. Now step the fuck out of my way and get out of my life. Your shit will be waiting for you outside the door of my apartment, if you even care to get it back. And if you so much as step foot inside it or near _me_ again, I will go to your superiors and tell them everything. Absolutely everything."_

_Carlisle stood there frozen. His eyes wide. I couldn't believe that he actually thought that I'd be okay with what he had proposed and what I had just witnessed._

_I shoved past him and into my car, slamming the door shut, starting the engine, and pulling the hell out of there, wanting to be as far away from him as I possibly could. And when the sun peeked over the horizon, I realized that I was back in my old neighborhood, parked in front of my parents' house, more than a hundred miles away._

_That was the last time that I saw Carlisle Cullen. My first love, my first heartbreak, and the father of my son._

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be landing at L.A.X. within the next 5 minutes. The weather is a comfortable 70 degrees with no clouds in sight. Thank you for flying with us this evening and we hope that your stay in Los Angeles is a pleasant one."

The captain's voice brought me back to reality and at that very moment I made a silent vow to myself. Carlisle and Xander would meet. And soon.

* * *

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	6. Dirty Little Secret

**DISCLAIMER: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The intellectual property including but not limited to all characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds, and details belong to LoveEqualsEDWARD. Plagiarism is theft so please, no copying or reproduction of this work in any language is permitted without express written authorization of the author.**

_**

* * *

**_

_Shit, shit, shit._

_How the hell do I talk Bella out of this? A child is simply out of the question._

Throughout the past few months, I've watched as Bella became increasingly fixated on the idea of having a child. Every time I'd come home from a trip, she'd want to have sex over and over again, saying that we needed to take every opportunity to increase the possibilities of conceiving. Not that I ever mind having sex with my wife; Bella is an alluring and desirable woman. However, her preoccupation with becoming pregnant was turning our lovemaking into a chore that was no longer enjoyable.

Besides, how do you tell your 26-year old wife that you don't intend on having children, ever? I know that I should be honest with her about this - hell, I _should've_ been honest with her in Paris, but we were so caught up in each other that I miserably failed at revealing that one bit of important information. But the fact is that I never truly intended on telling her. She would have never married me. That said, I do love Bella. I truly do. Just not in a conventional way. Nonetheless, I fear that if I don't find a way around this, I could lose her, and that's something that I won't let happen.

From the moment I met Bella, I knew that she was the perfect woman in every way. Beautiful, intelligent, successful, independent, and just a tad naive. I was instantly attracted to her and knew from our first conversation that she fit the image of the future Mrs. Carlisle Cullen, perfectly. There was no doubt in my mind that Bella had to be my wife. Besides, I was already in my 30's and people were becoming suspicious of me. I knew about the gossip. I was either a man-whore (which always made me laugh) or gay. But, I didn't want word of either of those accusations to get to the wrong ears, so I needed to find a way to appease the worried husbands who often wondered if I'd bedded their wives (which I definitely had) and the gossipy harpies who seemed to make it their lives' mission to figure out and expose me - as what, I'm not sure, but I needed to shut them all up permanently. Bella was the perfect tool. Part trophy wife, part cover, part lover. What I didn't count on was actually getting to love her and I certainly didn't count on her desire to have a child with me.

It was pretty ignorant of me to think that Bella would never want to have child. After all, she's well within her best childbearing years and she's in love. Too bad that she married a predatory bastard who would never indulge her.

---

As the late night's sky blanketed the city, I swiftly made my way towards my current flavor-of-the-week's penthouse; as always, telling the wife that I had business in Vancouver to attend to.

However, tonight was different than most in that Bella was extremely upset and agitated by the news. To be honest, I hadn't even planned on heading to Heidi's tonight, but after the 3rd round of arguing, nagging, and demands from my wife, I realized that I needed to leave and just sprung news of the "business trip" to Vancouver on her without prior warning.

So, after one final round of arguing, I had my bag packed and was out the door soon after.

The night was unseasonably warm and I opted to ride with the Mercedes' convertible top down for a change. The pleasant weather would help me clear my thoughts of Bella and mentally prepare for the bliss that awaited me in Heidi's delectable company. However, as I made my way down the 101, I couldn't stop thinking about how - over the past many months - Bella and I had argued almost incessantly about my frequent travels and her desire to have a baby. Our baby.

I shuddered at the thought of hearing the words, "our child," from any woman ever again. But by the same token, I was not willing to lose Bella over something like this and I needed to think of something quickly to appease her. Surprisingly, even to myself, what I felt for Bella was far bigger than anything I had ever felt for any other woman in the past, and that included Rosalie Hale.

_Rosalie._

I hadn't thought of her in years. Why did my thoughts suddenly betray me with images of her beautiful face? Of course...the baby. Rosalie was the first and only woman who would ever be able to say that she carried Carlisle Cullen's child in her womb. Lucky for me that she chose to take care of that little problem.

Bringing my thoughts back to the present, I thought about ways to convince Bella to adopt instead of having a child of our own. Thanks to my work with the CCF Children's Charities, I had seen first hand what children who grew up in poverty stricken areas had to endure, so it wouldn't be hard to convince Bella that adopting one of those unfortunate children would be the most responsible, unselfish thing to do.

I almost laughed when I thought about the words I'd chosen to pitch the adoption issue to Bella. "Responsible" and "unselfish." Two words that never really registered in my vocabulary. They were words that had no real value to me. I lived my life to the fullest by indulging the basest form of human need. Lust. Where selfishness and irresponsibility were a package deal. That was something I understood. Something I craved.

Yes, I was a despicable bastard.

I had a young, beautiful, and extremely loving wife at home and yet I still couldn't help but stray. Casual sexual encounters with throngs of beautiful women throughout my adult life had become something that thrilled me to my core and I craved it like the air that I breathe. Having married Bella _did _curb those desires for a while; after all, she's an amazing woman who can appeal to any man with her intelligence, her beauty, and her charm. But once we got into the monotony of married life after we settled in Seattle, the predator in me licked his lips and went in for the kill once again.

Especially after running into Heidi again.

So, this night, like many others before it, would be spent wrapped up in the naked body of someone other than my wife. Part of me despised it. However, part of me (the biggest part of me) thrilled at the idea that I was able to have my cake and eat it too. After all, _eating it_ was my specialty.

---

"Hello?" Said the groggy female voice.

"Heidi. I'm on my way. Be naked when I get there." I said.

"Oooh, Doctor Hot Bitch is gracing me with an unexpected booty call this evening!" She replied in her usual sarcastic tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Wait. Let me guess. The wife is being an insufferable bitch again?"

Heidi always knew how to press my buttons. I don't even know why I kept going back to her; she had such a filthy mouth. However, she could do some pretty amazing things with that filthy mouth of hers, and well...as long as she kept her comments strictly sexual, her hot Italian fire was the one I craved these days.

"Cut the shit, Heidi. I'm not up for it tonight." I said. "Are we fucking tonight or should I just drive back home?"

"Aw, come on over Carly-baby. You know that I will never say no to a good fucking from you."

I hung up the phone and pressed down on the gas. I needed some release and Heidi knew just to give it to me.

---

I let myself in, using my key to Heidi's apartment. I knew my way through her place, even in the dark, almost as well as I knew each contour of her big breasts, her body, and the delicious cleft between her legs. Walking into her bedroom, I found her sitting - bare as the day she was born - on a loveseat next to her vanity, legs spread, one leg hooked over the arm of the chair, awaiting my arrival. I didn't hesitate and went in for the kill.

Pulling her up from the seat by her forearms, I shoved her body over the armrest, with her hands all the way down to the floor, ass up, ready for me to fuck from behind. I was hard and beyond ready. Using one hand to unbuckle my belt, yanking my pants open, and releasing my straining cock, I gripped Heidi's hip with the other in order hand and brought her ass flush with exactly what I intended to give her much of tonight.

I sucked my thumb for a second before pushing it into her tight behind, plugging it as I slid my hard cock into her pussy. Despite Heidi's arrogant, ballsy attitude, she was a very willing sexual submissive who always enjoyed a good ass plugging. I pulled my finger out and continued to pump her dripping cunt, tracing the outlines of her rim, rubbing and massaging as I fucked her.

Looking up from the mesmerizing view below me, I realized that she had placed a full-length mirror in front of us in order to watch ourselves fuck. I smiled. Heidi was a deviant of the worst kind and was always prepared.

I continued to pound into her, as she moaned and yelled profanities at me in pleasure. Yeah, she liked it rough, and rough was exactly what I was in the mood for. I watched as her tits rocked in the mirror while I continued to thrust into her, her hair waving back and forth as little grunts escaped her, "Ungh. Ungh. Fuck me, Carlisle. Ungh. More. Fuck. Fuck me harder. More."

Heidi was an insatiable freak and I loved it. I loved watching her ass shake each time my hips met hers.

"You like my cock, you dirty little cumslut?" I asked with a smile in my voice. I knew she loved it when I talked dirty to her.

I picked up the pace of my thrusts and she yelled, "Fuck Carly, I can feel your balls inside me! Jesus Christ! Only you can own my cunt like this!"

Her naughty words always threw me over the edge.

"Unghhhh....I love putting my cock in your dirty fuckholes, my little whore," I replied. "Your pussy is so wet, Heidi. Can you feel how hard you have me?"

I watched, rapt with delight as the muscles on either side of her spine twitched and relaxed as we fucked.

"You're so fucking sexy, Heidi." I said, in awe of her delectable body. The curve of her back, the shape of her ass in the air, and her huge tits - with her arms locked straight as I held her body up and fucked her harder and faster.

"I need to blow, Heidi. Are you close? Tell me when I'm there."

Heidi's breaths were coming in ragged and shallow and she could barely speak from the pounding I was giving her.

"There!" She yelled. "Right. Fucking. There. Don't you fucking dare stop!"

My brain rewound and memorized that exact position and thrust so I could do it to her over and over, taking Heidi towards her impending orgasm. I felt the tip of my cock nudge her spot and she yelled, "Holy fuuuuck!"

"Yes, Heidi, take my cock, baby," I breathlessly replied.

I reached in front of her body and used my thumb to rub and apply pressure to her clit in tandem with my thrusts as a tingle started deep within me. My body also begging for the go-ahead to come.

"Please Heidi, please come with me as I'm right at the brink." I begged.

I almost drooled as I fucked her because her pussy was just too good at that angle. Heidi is fucking amazing and I wanted to show her just how much I loved fucking her, so I removed my thumb from her clit, still dripping with her pussy juices, and pushed it into her ass again. She gasped and her orgasm began to rock her. Her back arched and her body trembled almost violently. I circled her rim with my thumb as she came down from her release; I still hadn't achieved my own, although I was dangerously close already.

"Do it, Carlisle. It's your turn." She urged, with my cock still inside her.

I pulled out from her sweet box and circled the loveseat to stand in front of her, my wet cock in hand, trying not to come everywhere. Heidi slid up and rested her belly on the armrest. Her gorgeous tits hanging over the edge as she reached for her prize. Grabbing the base of my slippery package, she stroked me hard. Squeezing. Tugging. All the while smiling, knowing that I was going to explode.

"FUCK!" I yelled.

I reached for her head, but couldn't quite move with the force of my orgasm. My head tipped back and my toes curled into the carpet.

"Uuunnnggghhh!" I moaned in absolute pleasure. My thick white come spurted out of me, over her shoulder and down her back.

"Holy..."

Heidi kept stroking my cock, making it even more sensitive.

"Please Heidi. Holy fuck, stop." I begged.

She looked at me wickedly and jerked my cock one more time before licking beneath my tip and releasing me. I collapsed onto my knees in front of her, placing my hands on either side of her face and assaulted her mouth with a forceful kiss.

Both of us clearly exhausted, we picked ourselves up and walked towards her bathroom, hand in hand, where we'd surely go for round two.

---

_Ugh, what time is it?_

I looked over at the clock on Heidi's nightstand.

_4:30 am. _

_Shit, I didn't call Bella to let her know that I had arrived in "Vancouver" safely._

_Shit._

I rolled to my left where Heidi was laying, fast asleep in all her glory. As I gazed at her naked form, I forgot what it was that I'd awakened for, and soon enough, I was once again filled with the need to posses her. However, in typical Heidi fashion, she rolled onto her side and mumbled, "Let yourself out, Carlisle."

I chuckled at how detached she was. This arrangement between us was exclusively about sex and Heidi was my absolute favorite fuck because the lines were never blurred with her. She was no Rosalie, no Victoria, and definitely no Bella.

_Shit. _

_Bella._

I reached over and pulled on Heidi's shoulder until she turned to face me.

"What the fuck, Carly? Can't you just let yourself out?" She said groggily.

"Heidi, what the fuck do I do about Bella? Help me here. This is uncharted territory for me." I replied.

Heidi rolled over to look at her alarm clock and groaned.

"_Now_ is when you decide to have a conversation with me? Fuck!" She replied in an annoyed tone, but quickly sat up and turned on her bedside lamp. Of course, being the virile man that I am, I couldn't help but focus on her delectable chest as she turned to speak to me.

"Carlisle! My eyes are up here! Shit! Focus!" She scolded playfully.

I laughed and proceeded to tell her the specifics of my situation with Bella, of how she yearned for a child from me, and how I'd never fulfill that wish.

"And at what point, pray tell, were you planning on telling her that you've had a vasectomy?" Heidi said in a disbelieving tone.

The truth is that I _did_ intend on telling Bella about the vasectomy. About my reasons for having had it done years prior, but without specifically saying how much I detested the idea of being a father. However, I had been so caught up in _her_, her essence, and her body throughout our stay in Paris that by the time we'd said 'I do', it seemed too late to divulge without her backing out. And I needed Bella in my life. Not just as a cover to my deviant ways, but because I needed her in many different ways. She mattered more than any other woman ever had.

"Heidi, it's not that simple. I had an egotistical, over-bearing, emotionally abusive bastard for a father. My mother died when I was very young. I don't know the first thing about loving unconditionally, much less unselfishly. You know this!" I said, "Besides, having a child would ruin my lifestyle."

She snorted before replying, "I'd still fuck you."

"Actually, the very idea of being a father makes me sick, but I also know that I'm robbing Bella of something which she has every right to desire and _have_. After all, she's only 26 years old, and had she married someone else, she'd have as many babies as her heart desired by now." I said, feeling almost exasperated by Heidi's teasing tone.

I needed to find a solution and fast. Bella had already been talking about seeing specialists - all who would tell her that she was perfectly healthy and able to conceive naturally, I'm sure. But when time passes with no conception in sight, she'd undoubtedly have me sent to labs to have my sperm collected for evaluations that would surely uncover my sin of omission and I'd lose Bella forever.

"Heidi, this is serious. This is the future of my marriage we're talking about. I _won't_ lose Bella. She's everything to me."

Heidi laughed wickedly as she said, "Funny way you have to show how much you love her, don'tcha think, _lover_?"

She didn't understand.

"Don't misunderstand. I. Love. Bella. I want her to be happy. With me. But I'm not gonna die without something in my life that thrills me to my core, and this..." I motioned at the air between us "this shit between us, thrills me to my core. I can't stop. I wont stop. But that doesn't mean that I don't want Bella to have what she yearns for." I said, almost indignantly. "I asked for your help, Heidi, not your judgment."

Heidi leaned her body into me and sucked on my earlobe as she said, "Aaawww, no judgment from me, lover. I just think that you should start by being honest with her for once in your life. If she loves you, she'll forgive you and won't leave."

_Was that a chance that I was willing to take with Bella?_

Heidi and I had sex one final time before I made my way to a hotel for the night. I never stayed overnight at my lovers' homes, as most of them had significant others who would likely be arriving at any given time. Besides, I needed time alone to think...to think of a way to hold on to Bella.

I drove down the deserted highway towards my destination, going over my conversation with Heidi in my head and thinking of what to do about Bella. Fessing up to the inconvenient truth wasn't truly something that I was willing to do. Not now, at least, and probably not ever.

* * *

**This chapter is dedicated to my "dahlink", ****Ninapolitan**, who pwns me with her smutty hilarity and support of this silly little fic of mine (zank you, dahlink!) Plus, she LURVES all things Carlisle (aka Hot Bitch), so I just had to do her right by letting him DO her in my story. Duh.


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